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Report: Billions in Clean Energy Investments Expected in Maine

Maine is one of eight states leading the way in developing clean energy economies. In its new report, Clean Economy Rising, The Pew Charitiable Trusts finds that private interests invested $900 million in the state's renewable energy sector between 2009 and 2013. That number is projected to rise to nearly $2 billion by 2023.

Greater access to cheaper forms of energy, meantime, is a top priority of Gov. Paul LePage, who says the state should be bringing in more hydropower and natural gas, and not focusing as much on renewables.

In its research, The Pew Charitable Trusts found there were two big reasons why Maine is now considered a national leader in clean energy generation and economic opportunity. "Part of it is the abundant natural resources that exist here," says Tom Swanson, who oversees Pew's clean energy initiative.

Maine, says Tom Swanson, is doing a good job harnessing the strong winds in the Northwest part of the state and along its coastline. "Maine is really a leader in the New England region, in terms of its wind electricity generation," Swanson says. "It also leads the nation in terms of biomass generation, per capita. It's the third most biomass generation of any state. These are all very impressive numbers."

Swanson was joined by a panel of industry leaders at the University of Maine Monday, for the release of the new Pew report, Clean Economy Rising. Maine currently has 13 completed wind power developments, generating 431 megawatts of electricity. Another 1,200 megawatts are under development.

Thanks to partnerships with researchers and inventors at the UMaine-Orono, Maine is generating more electricity from biomass, on a per-capita basis, than any state in the country. Swanson says Maine has made commitments that have paved the way for this kind of growth.

"Whether it's the renewable portfolio standard, which set a goal of 40 percent of renewable electricity generation across the state by 2017, net metering standards, interconnection standards, other financing incentives that are working toward efficiency," he says. "All of these things are really working together to help Maine harness these technologies."

Maine's renewable portfolio standard, Swanson argues, is driving explosive growth in the clean energy space in Maine that shows no signs of letting up. A recent study, prepared for the state's public utilities commission, found that the portfolio standard will generate more than $1 billion in revenue over the next five years and will create nearly 12,000 jobs.

Patrick Woodcock agrees that renewables are an important part of Maine's energy mix. But right now, he says, they're not the answer to the state's most pressing energy challenges. Woodcock runs the Maine's energy office.

"You know, we're getting deluged by calls, in the energy office, about energy bills," Woodcock says - specifically, the high cost of energy bills in Maine. "We have some of the best renewable resources in the region. How can we translate these renewable resources to addressing the calls that we receive in the energy office?"

In the winter, peak demand on the New England power grid fluctuates between 15,000 and 21,000 megawatts of electricity. Right now, Woodcock says renewables are providing roughly 6 percent of the region's electricity load. Natural gas, by comparison, is 44 percent. Nuclear power is 30 percent.

Woodcock - and Gov. Paul LePage - say the state needs a diverse energy strategy that is realistic about solving the problem they say is driving Maine's high energy costs. "The primary factor in Maine's rising electric rates has been the failure to have natural gas available through the winter months," Woodcock says.

Gov. Paul LePage is pushing to expand access to natural gas in Maine. He's hoping he'll have an ally in this cause in Charlie Baker, the Republican Gov.-elect in Massachusetts. But Baker, under intense pressure from environmentalists, opposes construction of a proposed pipeline across northeast Massachusetts. Instead, Baker would like to see existing pipelines expanded.