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Rep. Berry
announces energy solutions to save you thousands
Carpools, weatherization,
fuel help available as of July 1
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GoMaine can save the average Maine commuter thousands per
year. A statewide carpool-find system, as well as expanding public transit options, are available at www.gomaine.org.
- 3.95% loans of
up to $30,000 are available to most Mainers
for home insulation, window replacement, and other measures that can save you thousands more than the cost of the
loan payments.
For more information
on this and other programs, visit www.mainehousing.org or call 1-800-452-4668.
- Free home weatherization
kits are available at
no cost through Midcoast Maine Community Action
in Bath, at 442-7963. Sign up for fuel
oil assistance as of July 1st at 442-7963. Also ask at your town office, or at 1-877-JOE-4-OIL.
Questions: email Seth at seth@sethberry.org
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| Wind turbines are an important piece of the energy puzzle we must soon solve ( Blog 9/30, 10/14). |
Click here to view the recommendations of the Governor's Wind Power Task Force. The final report sets goals of 2,000 MW of
wind power in Maine by 2015 and 3,000 MW by 2020.
Forest Biofuel
Not all biofuels are created equal. In their creation and
tranportation, we now understand that many biofuels may create as many problems as they solve. Enter UMaine's research
team: and a new, cutting-edge investigation into the potential to create sustainable, green biofuel using Maine's
forest waste left over from the pulp and paper harvest.
Using a new, $10.35 million federal and state grant, UMaine may
well be leading us toward the future envisioned in a report by the Governorīs Office of Energy Independence and Security.
This report came out of a bill introduced in 2007 by Rep. Hannah Pingree, which Seth helped revise to win unanimous committee
approval. The report, authored by UVM student Rebecca Rockefeller, shows a clear path forward for Maine
in the promising but tricky area of biofuel.
Download liquid biofuels policy paper
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| Source: Wikipedia, 2008 |
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
In Seth's first year on the Utilities and Energy Committee
-- and thanks to the joint efforts of many -- Maine joined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Based on Europe's
successful carbon cap-and-trade system, RGGI will limit the carbon emissions of power plants producing over 25 megawatts.
Emissions will level off from 2009 to 2014, and then decline to 10% below 2009 levels by 2018.
This collaborative effort of ten northeastern states will cut
our greenhouse gas emissions, while also creating a new market in carbon offsets, a new source of jobs, and new
funding for efficiency measures to decrease energy costs. Because some companies may require carbon offsets as part
of their energy portfolio, an impetus is also likely for sustainable forestry.
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| RGGI's genius: the cost of efficiency is 40% the cost of energy. (Blog 5/6) Data from Env-NE. |
Efficiency Maine is a statewide effort to promote the more efficient use of
electricity, help Maine residents and businesses reduce energy costs, and improve Maine's environment. Efficiency Maine is
funded by electricity consumers and administered by the Maine Public Utilities Commission, which is overseen by Seth's legislative committee.
As the graph above demonstrates, energy prices are about three times higher
than the cost of efficiency measures such as insulation, efficient lighting, etc. For this reason, it is generally cheapest
and most effective to begin with conservation measures before adding renewable energy production. As Amory Lovins
might say, a newly installed "negawatt" (unused megawatt) is both cheaper and cleaner than a newly installed megawatt.
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