AUGUSTA, Maine - An energy bill that Congressman Mike Michaud opposed a month ago is resurfacing in the midst of this year's gubernatorial debates. The owner of an Augusta printing company said rising business electrical rates can't be decided along partisan lines, and that Maine's next governor must be prepared to address those increasing costs. Republican leaders are singling Michaud out for his vote in Congress, but Michaud claims the GOP doesn't understand the impact that the bill could have on private property.
HR 1900 is not on the tip of the tongue of most Mainers, but the U.S. House bill is getting a lot of play during the ongoing gubernatorial debates. It's a piece of energy legislation that Democratic Congressman and Blaine House hopeful Mike Michaud voted against. Rick Tardiff, the chief executive officer of JS McCarthy Printers in Augusta wishes he hadn't.
"Our electricity bill here is $425,000 a year - we heat our building with natural gas," Tardiff says. "Anything that can be done to reduce our energy costs will have a positive effect on jobs and the state."
From Tardiff's point of view, and that of and Republican lawmakers, an affirmative vote on HR 1900 would have offered some light at the end of Maine's energy tunnel. The bill would assist efforts to increase the flow of additional gas to Maine and other New England states by requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to rule on natural gas permits within a year. The measure would also grant default approval to permit holders if FERC was not able to act within the prescribed timeline.
"Mr. Michaud has been part of blocking the natural gas expansion, bringing pipeline, here to our state that will provide lower-cost natural gas that's crucial to Maine's economy," says Mike Thibodeau, the Republican leader for the Maine Senate, "and I think that the voters of this state ought to be well aware of that."
And just in case voters are not aware, Republican Gov. Paul LePage is making sure during the gubernatorial debates that Mainers know where Michaud stood on H.R. 1900, a bill that the governor says would have expedited the flow of new natural gas capacity to Maine.
"He's voted against it twice, and during that vote he claimed that he did it because there's eminent domain issues in Massachusetts," LePage said. "There are no eminent domain issues in HR 1900 - it's not even about eminent domain and he voted against Maine people."
During Wednesday night's gubernatorial debate, Michaud confronted LePage, whom he said had not devised an energy policy for the state as governor. Michaud said that, while he believes natural gas is a good transitional fuel that has a role to play in Maine, LePage was confused about his position on H.R. 1900. Michaud agreed that eminent domain is not part of the actual bill - but it is part of the expanded natural gas capacity issue.
"It wasn't in the legislation, but it's under current law, governor," Michaud said, "and that's one of the things that, when you look at legislation, you've got to look at what might not be in the law, but at the effect that it has outside the law," Michaud said.
Eliot Cutler, the independent candidate for governor, was at odds with his opponents - although he did offer to educate Michaud. "This is going to surprise everybody - they're both wrong," Cutler said. "Number one..."
"That doesn't surprise us," said Michaud.
"Well you ought to listen to this Mike, you'd learn something," Cutler said.
Cutler said the real problem with the bill is that it gives FERC too much authority to make all the environmental decisions about any natural gas pipeline permit. "And you know something? That's why Ed Muskie rewrote NEPA (the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969) before it became law - so that the foxes wouldn't be guarding the chicken coops," Cutler said.
Democrats say H.R. 1900, is not expected to move in the Senate before the end of this Congress - making the chances of it becoming law slim.