Get this: There was a legislative hearing. Unexpectedly the chair of another committee comes to the hearing and tells the committee to throw out its big bill and do it over. This is echoed by the speaker of the house. Both are impelled by a wave of angry communications from their constituents.
Tux yawns.
This concerns of course LD 1810, An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Governor's Ocean Energy Task Force. But Tux has been given his marching orders: the story will be about the heating oil industry being ticked about the wheareases that call for phasing out their polluting industry over time.
This is exciting! Tux thinks. Angry oilmen! Easy story! Tux grins. Simple work.
But in the intersest of illuminating what Tux clouded with his witless prose...Here's what happened:
In the 36 hours before the hearing on LD 1810, members, of the Utility and Energy Committee said, they had heard loud and clear from Maine fishermen about their extreme displeasure with the notion of this bill opening up Maine state waters to nearshore commercial windfarms, pushing scallopers shrimpers & groundfishermen out.
Then Representative Leila Percy, co-chair of the Marine Resources Committee, lets the Untily and Energy Committee know both that the bill threatened Maine fishermen and was not acceptable, and that she spoke for Speaker of the House Hannah Pingree (who couldn't be there) on this as well.
As the TV cameras rolled, and energy lobbyists reeled in dismay, the Utility and Energy committee switched from unqualified support for LD 1810, to considering two alternatives: either
(1) turning LD 1810 into a Resolve, and shipping it round to other legislative committees and commercial fishing communities next year before taking any action, or
(2) removing from the bill all wording related to anything that would facilitate commercial windfarm operations in Maine state waters.
Uh...Tux?
Nope. The Tuxter didn't find that newsworthy. Fishermen are so...old economy. So passe'. Turkel instead gapes at the twinkle and shine of the windmills, whose lobbyists glitter with wealth and political connection. Fishermen be damned.
Uh...Tux?
Nope. The Tuxter didn't find that newsworthy. Fishermen are so...old economy. So passe'. Turkel instead gapes at the twinkle and shine of the windmills, whose lobbyists glitter with wealth and political connection. Fishermen be damned.
Under option 2 the bill would continue with sections that give the wind industry tax breaks and immunizes it from a variety of conservation and environmental laws, also known as "streamlining" the laws. "Streamlining? More like amputating the law," one conservation activist grumped to the committee, and the room filled with uneasy laughter.
Also remaining in the altered LD 1810 would be a controversial "Welfare Wind" section, This part of the bill forces Mainers to subsidize the wind industry by requiring electricity utilities to purchase wind-generated power for triple what they pay Bangor Hydro and other electricity providers, but then allows the utilities to pass the increased cost on to Maine consumers.
The oil heating industry also showed up in opposition to LD 1810 In particular, they opposed a section that calls for phasing their industry out of the home and commercial heating business and requiring Maine consumers to use electricity for heating.
While oil and lobsters don't mix well in nature, in Augusta they may together push LD 1810, and the energy industry behind it, far away from its original goals.
But for Tux, this would interfere with the official marching orders to glorify the wind industry at all costs.
But for Tux, this would interfere with the official marching orders to glorify the wind industry at all costs.
