CONTRIBUTORS

Increasing investment in energy efficiency is a must

Posted May 31, 2011, at 7:32 p.m.
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What do the weather and energy costs have in common? We all like to complain a lot about both. We cannot do much about the weather, but we can take greater control over our energy costs. Increasing investment in energy efficiency projects is one very simple step we can take to reduce high energy prices.

It costs just 3.6 cents per kilowatt-hour to save electricity. It costs 8 to 9 cent for electricity supplied by power plants, and to get that power to our homes and businesses it costs a total of about 15 cents.

The virtues of saving electricity have always been clear, but saving energy has always faced one major roadblock: to use less electricity in the long run requires us to pay more for energy saving lights, appliances and motors in the short term. Efficiency Maine was established in 2002 to help Mainers save money and electricity over the long term even when it costs more now.

For every dollar it has invested, customers of Efficiency Maine have saved more than $3, a total of more than $500 million dollars in seven years. Efficiency Maine has leveraged $20 million in public funding to attract $75 million in private capital for energy saving investments in fiscal year 2010 alone.

In 2009, the Legislature recognized the commonsense behind saving energy and directed Efficiency Maine to develop a plan to capture all cost-effective energy efficiency resources. A three-year plan and budget was developed and reviewed. It was approved by the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

The proposed budget for the next two years is $53.5 million, much lower than what Central Maine Power, the Maine PUC and Environment Northeast say is needed to meet the Legislature’s charge.  According to one study, were we to invest in all cost-effective electric efficiency over the next 15 years, we would increase state economic activity by $10.5 billion, create tens of thousands of jobs in state, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of five coal plants.

To save money, we will have to spend some money, and to seriously address today’s significant energy problems we will have to spend a little more. This means a small increase in the charge on electricity bills to expand our efficiency investments. The charge is currently under 1.5 tenths of a cent, which for the average family equals 75 cents per month; the proposal is to increase it to 3.5 tenths of a cent in two years.

A homeowner could save more than the entire proposed increase simply by replacing one traditional 100-watt light bulb with a 23-watt compact fluorescent bulb. Even with this increase, Maine ratepayers would still pay significantly less than what residents in neighboring states invest in efficiency on a per capita basis.

Given high and rising energy prices, now would not seem a good time to keep the status quo in our efforts to encourage more energy efficiency. But that is what is happening in the Legislature. Concerns about increasing the Efficiency Maine budget are erecting barriers to real savings for almost everybody in Maine, despite broad-based public support for increased investments in energy efficiency

Some recent projects tell why investing in energy saving projects is a no-brainer. The Brewer Marden’s completed a $66,000 lighting project that will save $236,000 over the project life. The Bangor Water District in Otis recently completed a project that cost $69,000 but will save local taxpayers $158,000 over the project life. The Town of Bucksport undertook $27,000 in lighting projects that will save town taxpayers $51,000.

A York bakery completed a $19,000 lighting project that will save $161,000. In each case, Efficiency Maine provided an incentive, but roughly two-thirds of the projects’ costs were paid for by the town or company. The list of projects large and small goes on and on, and we have just begun to tap the full energy savings potential.

Everyone benefits when we become more efficient users of electricity.  When we underinvest in efficiency we spend our hard-earned dollars on expensive power plants, fossil fuels and new transmission lines that are not needed.  And, we unnecessarily export energy dollars rather than spending them in state.

This is probably why the vast majority of Maine people support increasing public investment in energy efficiency programs. This is why we do too.  We encourage the Maine Legislature to do so also by supporting Efficiency Maine’s budget proposal.

Charles S. Colgan is chair of the Community Planning and Development Program at the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine. Chip Morrison is president of the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce. Jim Wellehan is president of Lamey Wellehan Shoes.

 

 

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  • Anonymous

    I still don’t understand how I benefit from other people becoming more efficient users of electricity.  A tax on me to remodel somebody else’s house benefits them.  Once again, the state is making people look stupid for doing something the right way.

  • Anonymous

    I still don’t understand how I benefit from other people becoming more efficient users of electricity.  A tax on me to remodel somebody else’s house benefits them.  Once again, the state is making people look stupid for doing something the right way.

  • Patten_Pete

    “When we underinvest in efficiency we spend our hard-earned dollars on new transmission lines that are not needed.”

    Sorry men, I’m calling BS here.  Both Baldacci tool Colgan and NRCM/Climate activist Wellehan have been big cheerleaders of Baldacci’s ill conceived idiotic plan to scar Maine’s ridgetops and mountains with 1,800 useless and junkyard-bound wind turbines, each 400′ tall. Those sprawling industrial wind complexes that tear a jagged bleeding hole in our state’s brand and quality of life are the sole reason that Maine is now set for New Jerseyfication by transmission line.

    Wind power is the sole reason for the $1.4 billion CMP upgrade, because
    wind spurts and causes thermal overload. Baldacci lied that it was needed due to “aging lines”. Rather he did this for his friends in the wind industry. In fact
    his former PUC Chairman, Kurt Adams, greased the skids for the CMP upgrade and
    took over $1 million in stock options from his future employer, First Wind,
    while still at the PUC.  Baldacci’s Attorney General, Janet Mills, did not think
    this was a conflict. Baldacci disingenuously told us Mainers would pay only 8% of the
    CMP upgrade’s $1.4 billion cost. What he didn’t say is that the total cost in
    the New England grid for new wind-required transmission is estimated at $30
    billion and that Maine ratepayers will be forced to pick up 8% of the tab on
    this, or $2.4 billion. That’s almost $5,000 per Maine household contributed to
    the wind companies who otherwise could not ship their electricity out of state
    to Mass and Ct.

    So Mr. Colgan and Mr. Wellehan, if you truly care about unnecessary transmission lines, please do some research on how the Baldacci administration endorsed a $5,000 bill to each Maine ratepaying household for Baldacci’s Boston wind friends.

  • Anonymous

     I am not sure if you are talking about the bill that also funds industrial wind. It’s a pity that EM would be dragging that dead weight along with their request for funding. I am a weatherizer in the state and performed a number of Efficiency Maine projects for homeowners. Sadly, my feelings regarding wind are such that I will not support any bill that gives them any further funding, even if it means changing career directions.

  • Anonymous

     I am not sure if you are talking about the bill that also funds industrial wind. It’s a pity that EM would be dragging that dead weight along with their request for funding. I am a weatherizer in the state and performed a number of Efficiency Maine projects for homeowners. Sadly, my feelings regarding wind are such that I will not support any bill that gives them any further funding, even if it means changing career directions.

  • Anonymous

     I am not sure if you are talking about the bill that also funds industrial wind. It’s a pity that EM would be dragging that dead weight along with their request for funding. I am a weatherizer in the state and performed a number of Efficiency Maine projects for homeowners. Sadly, my feelings regarding wind are such that I will not support any bill that gives them any further funding, even if it means changing career directions.

  • Doc

    Until citizens take a strong interest in the energy issues, all the balogna artists and self-servers (like those in this article)in Maine, PUC , and other financially attached scammers like Windy Kingie et al, will push up  electron rates of the citizenry, for the elites’ self  benefit.

    Maine should have the lowest electron rates in the nation, but the state and citizens are treated like a natural resource plantation for those intrastate self-servers, and those from away.
    That is why Maine stays poor. Too few people seeing scams for what they are , like the Wind Scam in Maine. Connecting the dots for the massive infrastructure of wires to pull the electrons out of state is so obvious to those who take an interest in the issue.Please don’t scratch your head as to why electron rates are rising , and fast. 
    The wind farce in Maine , both onshore and offshore, will make this state a good one for industry to leave, taking residents with them.
    Vacation land will be Turbineland for the folly of fools.

    Unless citizens take an interest, the fools will be themselves.

    As long as the bologna artsists and corporate environmental self-servers like NRCM are listened to , the farce will continue.
    Kurt Adams, Angus King and son, Hinck and Hinck,Fitts, Mcleod,.LURC,DEP,BEP,LD-2283 and on.
    The scam in unethical Maine goes on, for now.

  • Doc

    Until citizens take a strong interest in the energy issues, all the balogna artists and self-servers (like those in this article)in Maine, PUC , and other financially attached scammers like Windy Kingie et al, will push up  electron rates of the citizenry, for the elites’ self  benefit.

    Maine should have the lowest electron rates in the nation, but the state and citizens are treated like a natural resource plantation for those intrastate self-servers, and those from away.
    That is why Maine stays poor. Too few people seeing scams for what they are , like the Wind Scam in Maine. Connecting the dots for the massive infrastructure of wires to pull the electrons out of state is so obvious to those who take an interest in the issue.Please don’t scratch your head as to why electron rates are rising , and fast. 
    The wind farce in Maine , both onshore and offshore, will make this state a good one for industry to leave, taking residents with them.
    Vacation land will be Turbineland for the folly of fools.

    Unless citizens take an interest, the fools will be themselves.

    As long as the bologna artsists and corporate environmental self-servers like NRCM are listened to , the farce will continue.
    Kurt Adams, Angus King and son, Hinck and Hinck,Fitts, Mcleod,.LURC,DEP,BEP,LD-2283 and on.
    The scam in unethical Maine goes on, for now.

  • Doc

    Until citizens take a strong interest in the energy issues, all the balogna artists and self-servers (like those in this article)in Maine, PUC , and other financially attached scammers like Windy Kingie et al, will push up  electron rates of the citizenry, for the elites’ self  benefit.

    Maine should have the lowest electron rates in the nation, but the state and citizens are treated like a natural resource plantation for those intrastate self-servers, and those from away.
    That is why Maine stays poor. Too few people seeing scams for what they are , like the Wind Scam in Maine. Connecting the dots for the massive infrastructure of wires to pull the electrons out of state is so obvious to those who take an interest in the issue.Please don’t scratch your head as to why electron rates are rising , and fast. 
    The wind farce in Maine , both onshore and offshore, will make this state a good one for industry to leave, taking residents with them.
    Vacation land will be Turbineland for the folly of fools.

    Unless citizens take an interest, the fools will be themselves.

    As long as the bologna artsists and corporate environmental self-servers like NRCM are listened to , the farce will continue.
    Kurt Adams, Angus King and son, Hinck and Hinck,Fitts, Mcleod,.LURC,DEP,BEP,LD-2283 and on.
    The scam in unethical Maine goes on, for now.

  • Doc

    Until citizens take a strong interest in the energy issues, all the balogna artists and self-servers (like those in this article)in Maine, PUC , and other financially attached scammers like Windy Kingie et al, will push up  electron rates of the citizenry, for the elites’ self  benefit.

    Maine should have the lowest electron rates in the nation, but the state and citizens are treated like a natural resource plantation for those intrastate self-servers, and those from away.
    That is why Maine stays poor. Too few people seeing scams for what they are , like the Wind Scam in Maine. Connecting the dots for the massive infrastructure of wires to pull the electrons out of state is so obvious to those who take an interest in the issue.Please don’t scratch your head as to why electron rates are rising , and fast. 
    The wind farce in Maine , both onshore and offshore, will make this state a good one for industry to leave, taking residents with them.
    Vacation land will be Turbineland for the folly of fools.

    Unless citizens take an interest, the fools will be themselves.

    As long as the bologna artsists and corporate environmental self-servers like NRCM are listened to , the farce will continue.
    Kurt Adams, Angus King and son, Hinck and Hinck,Fitts, Mcleod,.LURC,DEP,BEP,LD-2283 and on.
    The scam in unethical Maine goes on, for now.

  • Doc

    Until citizens take a strong interest in the energy issues, all the balogna artists and self-servers (like those in this article)in Maine, PUC , and other financially attached scammers like Windy Kingie et al, will push up  electron rates of the citizenry, for the elites’ self  benefit.

    Maine should have the lowest electron rates in the nation, but the state and citizens are treated like a natural resource plantation for those intrastate self-servers, and those from away.
    That is why Maine stays poor. Too few people seeing scams for what they are , like the Wind Scam in Maine. Connecting the dots for the massive infrastructure of wires to pull the electrons out of state is so obvious to those who take an interest in the issue.Please don’t scratch your head as to why electron rates are rising , and fast. 
    The wind farce in Maine , both onshore and offshore, will make this state a good one for industry to leave, taking residents with them.
    Vacation land will be Turbineland for the folly of fools.

    Unless citizens take an interest, the fools will be themselves.

    As long as the bologna artsists and corporate environmental self-servers like NRCM are listened to , the farce will continue.
    Kurt Adams, Angus King and son, Hinck and Hinck,Fitts, Mcleod,.LURC,DEP,BEP,LD-2283 and on.
    The scam in unethical Maine goes on, for now.

  • Doc

    Until citizens take a strong interest in the energy issues, all the balogna artists and self-servers (like those in this article)in Maine, PUC , and other financially attached scammers like Windy Kingie et al, will push up  electron rates of the citizenry, for the elites’ self  benefit.

    Maine should have the lowest electron rates in the nation, but the state and citizens are treated like a natural resource plantation for those intrastate self-servers, and those from away.
    That is why Maine stays poor. Too few people seeing scams for what they are , like the Wind Scam in Maine. Connecting the dots for the massive infrastructure of wires to pull the electrons out of state is so obvious to those who take an interest in the issue.Please don’t scratch your head as to why electron rates are rising , and fast. 
    The wind farce in Maine , both onshore and offshore, will make this state a good one for industry to leave, taking residents with them.
    Vacation land will be Turbineland for the folly of fools.

    Unless citizens take an interest, the fools will be themselves.

    As long as the bologna artsists and corporate environmental self-servers like NRCM are listened to , the farce will continue.
    Kurt Adams, Angus King and son, Hinck and Hinck,Fitts, Mcleod,.LURC,DEP,BEP,LD-2283 and on.
    The scam in unethical Maine goes on, for now.

  • Doc

    Until citizens take a strong interest in the energy issues, all the balogna artists and self-servers (like those in this article)in Maine, PUC , and other financially attached scammers like Windy Kingie et al, will push up  electron rates of the citizenry, for the elites’ self  benefit.

    Maine should have the lowest electron rates in the nation, but the state and citizens are treated like a natural resource plantation for those intrastate self-servers, and those from away.
    That is why Maine stays poor. Too few people seeing scams for what they are , like the Wind Scam in Maine. Connecting the dots for the massive infrastructure of wires to pull the electrons out of state is so obvious to those who take an interest in the issue.Please don’t scratch your head as to why electron rates are rising , and fast. 
    The wind farce in Maine , both onshore and offshore, will make this state a good one for industry to leave, taking residents with them.
    Vacation land will be Turbineland for the folly of fools.

    Unless citizens take an interest, the fools will be themselves.

    As long as the bologna artsists and corporate environmental self-servers like NRCM are listened to , the farce will continue.
    Kurt Adams, Angus King and son, Hinck and Hinck,Fitts, Mcleod,.LURC,DEP,BEP,LD-2283 and on.
    The scam in unethical Maine goes on, for now.

  • Doc

    Until citizens take a strong interest in the energy issues, all the balogna artists and self-servers (like those in this article)in Maine, PUC , and other financially attached scammers like Windy Kingie et al, will push up  electron rates of the citizenry, for the elites’ self  benefit.

    Maine should have the lowest electron rates in the nation, but the state and citizens are treated like a natural resource plantation for those intrastate self-servers, and those from away.
    That is why Maine stays poor. Too few people seeing scams for what they are , like the Wind Scam in Maine. Connecting the dots for the massive infrastructure of wires to pull the electrons out of state is so obvious to those who take an interest in the issue.Please don’t scratch your head as to why electron rates are rising , and fast. 
    The wind farce in Maine , both onshore and offshore, will make this state a good one for industry to leave, taking residents with them.
    Vacation land will be Turbineland for the folly of fools.

    Unless citizens take an interest, the fools will be themselves.

    As long as the bologna artsists and corporate environmental self-servers like NRCM are listened to , the farce will continue.
    Kurt Adams, Angus King and son, Hinck and Hinck,Fitts, Mcleod,.LURC,DEP,BEP,LD-2283 and on.
    The scam in unethical Maine goes on, for now.

  • Anonymous

    A $100 spent in energy efficiency will be paid back when?

    And that same $100 invested in a equity account will accumulate how much wealth?

    We might be dumb; but not that dumb!

  • Anonymous

    Patten-Pete — You are making a totally one-sided and consequently limp economic argument about costs. The reason wind-energy actually makes sense is in fact an economic one, based primarily on the extremely negative economic aspects tied to fossil fuels. You completely ignore  the hidden costs associated with fossil fuels, mostly in the form of cost impacts upon the environment (including Maine’s air and forests) and public health. From a purely economic perspective Maine must import 80% of its energy, and every dollar sent to the Middle East or Canada is a dollar forever lost to Maine’s economy. The one prediction that is sure to come true is that all fossil fuels will continue to increase in cost as the rest of the world develops and/or competes with us. Unless Maine gets serious about exploiting all of its available options for alternative energy production and conservation the state’s economy is sure to follow a perilous future path. While we can argue about the environmental negatives of wind versus fossil fuels, and the NIMBY stance taken by many when it comes to our own energy consumption, the economic case for wind energy is actually an easy one to make.

  • Anonymous

    Patten-Pete — You are making a totally one-sided and consequently limp economic argument about costs. The reason wind-energy actually makes sense is in fact an economic one, based primarily on the extremely negative economic aspects tied to fossil fuels. You completely ignore  the hidden costs associated with fossil fuels, mostly in the form of cost impacts upon the environment (including Maine’s air and forests) and public health. From a purely economic perspective Maine must import 80% of its energy, and every dollar sent to the Middle East or Canada is a dollar forever lost to Maine’s economy. The one prediction that is sure to come true is that all fossil fuels will continue to increase in cost as the rest of the world develops and/or competes with us. Unless Maine gets serious about exploiting all of its available options for alternative energy production and conservation the state’s economy is sure to follow a perilous future path. While we can argue about the environmental negatives of wind versus fossil fuels, and the NIMBY stance taken by many when it comes to our own energy consumption, the economic case for wind energy is actually an easy one to make.

  • Anonymous

    Patten-Pete — You are making a totally one-sided and consequently limp economic argument about costs. The reason wind-energy actually makes sense is in fact an economic one, based primarily on the extremely negative economic aspects tied to fossil fuels. You completely ignore  the hidden costs associated with fossil fuels, mostly in the form of cost impacts upon the environment (including Maine’s air and forests) and public health. From a purely economic perspective Maine must import 80% of its energy, and every dollar sent to the Middle East or Canada is a dollar forever lost to Maine’s economy. The one prediction that is sure to come true is that all fossil fuels will continue to increase in cost as the rest of the world develops and/or competes with us. Unless Maine gets serious about exploiting all of its available options for alternative energy production and conservation the state’s economy is sure to follow a perilous future path. While we can argue about the environmental negatives of wind versus fossil fuels, and the NIMBY stance taken by many when it comes to our own energy consumption, the economic case for wind energy is actually an easy one to make.

  • Anonymous

    Patten-Pete — You are making a totally one-sided and consequently limp economic argument about costs. The reason wind-energy actually makes sense is in fact an economic one, based primarily on the extremely negative economic aspects tied to fossil fuels. You completely ignore  the hidden costs associated with fossil fuels, mostly in the form of cost impacts upon the environment (including Maine’s air and forests) and public health. From a purely economic perspective Maine must import 80% of its energy, and every dollar sent to the Middle East or Canada is a dollar forever lost to Maine’s economy. The one prediction that is sure to come true is that all fossil fuels will continue to increase in cost as the rest of the world develops and/or competes with us. Unless Maine gets serious about exploiting all of its available options for alternative energy production and conservation the state’s economy is sure to follow a perilous future path. While we can argue about the environmental negatives of wind versus fossil fuels, and the NIMBY stance taken by many when it comes to our own energy consumption, the economic case for wind energy is actually an easy one to make.

  • Anonymous

    Patten-Pete — You are making a totally one-sided and consequently limp economic argument about costs. The reason wind-energy actually makes sense is in fact an economic one, based primarily on the extremely negative economic aspects tied to fossil fuels. You completely ignore  the hidden costs associated with fossil fuels, mostly in the form of cost impacts upon the environment (including Maine’s air and forests) and public health. From a purely economic perspective Maine must import 80% of its energy, and every dollar sent to the Middle East or Canada is a dollar forever lost to Maine’s economy. The one prediction that is sure to come true is that all fossil fuels will continue to increase in cost as the rest of the world develops and/or competes with us. Unless Maine gets serious about exploiting all of its available options for alternative energy production and conservation the state’s economy is sure to follow a perilous future path. While we can argue about the environmental negatives of wind versus fossil fuels, and the NIMBY stance taken by many when it comes to our own energy consumption, the economic case for wind energy is actually an easy one to make.

  • Patten_Pete

    We have an abundance of fossil fuels for centuries to come. You might want to read the good new on this at:
    http://www.salon.com/news/env/energy/?story=/politics/war_room/2011/05/31/linbd_fossil_fuels

    Funny how the wind industry has finally started to drop their use of the word “oil”. After years of trying to tell us wind will reduce oil consumption and finally being exposed for that prevarication, the wind industry now says “fossil fuels” because saying “wind will get Maine off clean and domestically abundant affordable natural gas” just doesn’t cut it.

  • Patten_Pete

    We have an abundance of fossil fuels for centuries to come. You might want to read the good new on this at:
    http://www.salon.com/news/env/energy/?story=/politics/war_room/2011/05/31/linbd_fossil_fuels

    Funny how the wind industry has finally started to drop their use of the word “oil”. After years of trying to tell us wind will reduce oil consumption and finally being exposed for that prevarication, the wind industry now says “fossil fuels” because saying “wind will get Maine off clean and domestically abundant affordable natural gas” just doesn’t cut it.

  • Anonymous

    Again, you are completely ignoring the fact that Maine must import energy (including all  natural gas consumed) as well as the consequent impact upon the state’s economy. Furthermore, the environmental impact of natural gas is far from insignificant and, lastly, its price is guaranteed to go up as it has become the developed world’s substitute of choice for oil and coal. You can argue the fossil fuel case all day long but the underlying economic realities won’t change.

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