Future of solar energy in Maine still cloudy
A bill introduced on the part of Gov. Paul LePage that would permit Maine utilities own generation if it’s deemed good for ratepayers was carried over until finally next year. Meanwhile, CMP testified during legislative hearings about the solar bills that Maine could be the only state in the Northeast in which utilities can’t own or develop solar generation. It noted that utility-size photo voltaic systems produce electricity at half the expense of home installations.
“Solar is an invaluable resource, ” said John Carroll, some sort of CMP spokesman. “People keep going out that Maine is decreasing behind in solar, but that’s generally because Maine utilities aren’t making grid-scale solar. ”
Carroll said Maine should make fact that CMP’s parent company includes a clean-energy subsidiary, Ibedrola Renewables. It’s the second-largest wind company in america and operates solar projects in New Mexico and Arizona.
CMP’s aspirations came under fire from a national coalition of rooftop solar installers which include industry leaders, such as Photo voltaic City and Sunrun. These corporations don’t operate in Maine, but they’ve been seeking to build support here through lobbying and selling ads online.
The Alliance for Solar Choice says Maine could be the latest state in which electric monopolies are waging a campaign to hold homeowners tied to the grid. It testified at a public hearing using a sweeping energy bill introduced on the part of LePage which, among other things, would have repealed Maine’s net-metering rule. The bill didn’t make it over the Legislature.
Under the rule, utilities pay homeowners for that electricity they produce, even though they must buy power from the grid through the night and on cloudy days. CMP says net metering is definitely an outdated concept that shifts the expense of maintaining its distribution network onto some other clients, and will get worse while more solar is installed. The alliance says net metering could be the foundation for solar policy in 44 states and benefits almost all ratepayers.
“Solar is an invaluable resource, ” said John Carroll, some sort of CMP spokesman. “People keep going out that Maine is decreasing behind in solar, but that’s generally because Maine utilities aren’t making grid-scale solar. ”
CMP’s aspirations came under fire from a national coalition of rooftop solar installers which include industry leaders, such as Photo voltaic City and Sunrun. These corporations don’t operate in Maine, but they’ve been seeking to build support here through lobbying and selling ads online.
The Alliance for Solar Choice says Maine could be the latest state in which electric monopolies are waging a campaign to hold homeowners tied to the grid. It testified at a public hearing using a sweeping energy bill introduced on the part of LePage which, among other things, would have repealed Maine’s net-metering rule. The bill didn’t make it over the Legislature.
Under the rule, utilities pay homeowners for that electricity they produce, even though they must buy power from the grid through the night and on cloudy days. CMP says net metering is definitely an outdated concept that shifts the expense of maintaining its distribution network onto some other clients, and will get worse while more solar is installed. The alliance says net metering could be the foundation for solar policy in 44 states and benefits almost all ratepayers.