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Cutler Talks Energy, Environment

Independent gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler says Maine must strengthen its commitment to the environment, and pursue sounder energy policies, without sacrificing jobs. Cutler rolled out his environmental and energy agendas at a press conference this morning on the banks of the Penobscot River in Bangor. 

Eliot Cutler is in a tough, three-way race for the Blaine House with Democratic Congressman Mike Michaud and Gov. Paul LePage, the Republican incumbent. And much like four years ago, when he first ran for governor, there's a name Cutler mentions often, as he talks about the experiences he believes make him the best choice for the job.

"As a young man in my 20s, I was privileged to work with Sen. Ed Muskie on two of this nation's foundational environmental laws," Cutler said at a Bangor news conference.

Cutler, who worked for Muskie after graduating from Harvard, helped the Democrat write the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. More than 30 years later, the independent candidate for governor embraced his mentor's legacy, as he unveiled his own energy and environmental agenda for Maine.

"Among his most enduring legacies here in Maine was his insistence that we need not sacrifice jobs for a clean environment. That we don't need to choose between payrolls and pickerel," Cutler said.

Under Paul LePage, Cutler says the delicate balance between business interests, jobs, sound energy policy and environmental stewardship has gone awry. To fix the situation, the independent is pushing a multi-faceted approach.
Maine, he says, must commit itself to reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Cutler says the state should embrace a regional clean fuels standard and join other states in increasing the number of zero emission vehicles to 15 percent of all new cars sold by 2025.

And Maine, he says, needs to increase its commitment to developing more sources of renewable energy, while also finding a way to get natural gas lines into many more communities across the state.

"We will create a Maine Energy Finance Authority," he said. "Maine should be making sound public investments in the energy sector in order to both restore economic activity across Maine and spur the wider development of renewable, distributed generation."

Under Paul LePage, Cutler says the delicate balance between business interests, jobs, sound energy policy and environmental stewardship has gone awry.

On the environment, Cutler says enforcement of the state laws and regulations have taken a clear backseat to business interests. He says he'd clean house at the Department of Environmental Protection, beginning with Commissioner Patty Aho.

"I mean, the notion that you would appoint a lobbyist for those regulated industries - highly regulated industries - to the position of the commissioner of the agency responsible for protecting Maine's most precious resource was, and remains, remarkable to me," Cutler said.

"I haven't heard Mr. Cutler's remark," says Commissioner Aho. About an hour after Cutler's event in Bangor, Aho was at the world's leading drumstick manufacturer, the Vic Firth Company in Newport, to help Gov. LePage hand out annual awards to companies that went beyond state rules and regulations in their persuit of environmental sustainability.

Aho defended her past work as a lobbyist on behalf of clients in the chemical, drug, oil and real estate industries. "No surprises there," she says. "All of that was asked and answered during my confirmation hearing, and those questions were well answered."

A few minutes later, Aho's boss appeared to take a swipe at candidate Cutler, with this full-throated defense of the commissioner and the changes she's made at Maine DEP.

"We constantly hear the naysayers, but I will tell you that a lot of good work has been done by the DEP," LePage said. "We've turned the corner on making a culture change in Augusta and having the DEP a lot more willing to help the business community."

Way too willing, according to Cutler. Cutler and Mike Michaud have many similar views on environmental and energy policy. But Lizzy Reinholt, communications director for Michaud's campaign, says the Democrat has offered far more detailed ideas than Cutler.

"We're really confident in our plan. It's the most detailed plan,' Reinholt says. "And we think he's the only candidate in the race who actually has the ability to bring people together to implement it."

Michaud released his ideas on energy and the environment back in February, as part of his Maine Made plan. Both Michaud and Cutler are likely to highlight their differences with LePage often, as the campaign intensifies in the months ahead.