Reply #11: Maine third Northeast state to pass "RGGI" law to cut global warming pollution from power plants

[jpak]

http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=1597

Tuesday June 5th, 2007

Today, the Maine Senate voted 35-0 for final passage of “An Act To Authorize the State's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative” (LD 1851, known as RGGI).

Today’s vote makes Maine the third northeast state to pass a law that requires power plants to reduce their emissions of global warming pollutants as part of a region-wide “cap-and-trade” system. Vermont and Connecticutt have already passed RGGI legislation -- altogether ten northeast states are in the process of adopting similar policies, and five western states are not far behind.

Together the northeast states add up to the seventh largest source of global warming pollution in the world and more than 30% of this pollution comes from dirty power plants.

This bill, which was introduced by Maine Governor Baldacci, was sponsored by Rep. Theodore Koffman and Sen. Phil Bartlett, and co-sponsored by a bi-partisan group of lawmakers.

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Sorry, in a few years, Maine will be producing up to 40% of its peak demand with wind power alone.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/060724kj.s...

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The Mars Hill project in Aroostook County, the first utility-scale wind power project approved in Maine, will produce 50 megawatts of power at peak production when completed.

(The Mars Hill Wind Farm became operational in March 07, it's New England's largest - so far)

The Linekin Bay project in northern Aroostook County calls for installing wind turbines capable of generating 500 megawatts of electricity in a phased process that could be completed by 2010.

The Kibby Mountain project in western Maine, which is also in the very early stages, would have between 100 and 200 megawatts of capacity, possibly by the end of 2008.

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If those projects live up to their potential, they would create roughly 800 megawatts of generation capacity, or about 40 percent of the energy Maine residents use during peak periods.

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You can also add another 57 MW from the Stetson Mountain Wind Project to this list...

on edit: and the Beaver Ridge wind farm too...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

In 2005, Maine generated 18.8 million MWh of electricity but consumed only 12.3 million MWh. The remainder, 6.5 million MWh, was exported to southern New England or Canada.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/st_profiles/e_ ...

In 2006, Maine generated 7.5 million MWh with renewables (biomass and hydro)...61% of its in-state demand.

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cf ...

Maine's existing paper mill natural gas CHP plants and new wind power capacity - and existing biomass and hydro power capacity - could produce all of the state's electricity.

...and that's not counting tidal power from the Penobscot, Kennebec and Piscataqua Rivers (FERC permits already applied for)...

...or any future off-shore wind and wave power...

...or the 74,579 MWh (AKA "NEGAwatt hours") hours in energy savings achieved by Efficiency Maine in 2006.

http://www.efficiencymaine.com /

Maine doesn't need another Maine Yankee.

(clue: Central Maine Power only owned 38% of the plant, the rest was owned by out-of-state utilities that shipped their share of the juice south of the border. Maine's dependence on nuclear power from Maine Yankee was less than what some people think).

...and Maine doesn't need it's two 500 MW gas fired plants - but southern NE does.

Maine is on track to be 100% Clean, Green and Nuclear Free.

Finally, here's some cool pictures of gas- and coal-fired power plants built in New Jersey since 1990...

http://www.industcards.com/cc-usa-nj.htm

http://www.industcards.com/st-coal-usa-de-nj.htm

Enjoy...

I also note the New Jersey is a net importer of electricity - 21.3 million MWh in 2005. Where, oh where, did that power come from??? Certainly not from any new nuclear power plants...