Maine

Maine governor's race: Mitchell vs. LePage vs. Cutler vs. Moody

Tell us what you know about the governor's race in Maine. What's at stake? What are candidates saying about climate change and other green issues?

New ‘Repower America’ ads target conservative Dem Senators on clean energy jobs

Repower America, a project of Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection, unveiled a new ad campaign targeting senators in key states to win support for clean energy legislation to create green jobs.  The ads feature testimonials from elected leaders, small business owners, union workers and farmers who advocate for clean energy job creation in their […]

Susan Collins (R-Maine) [UPDATED]

Susan Collins Though Sen. Susan Collins seems supportive of climate legislation, she remains a toss-up in the debate over the Kerry-Boxer bill. In this letter sent to a constituent in early December, she calls for “meaningful action” to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, while saying that solutions must be “reasonable”: Dear [Constituent], Thank you for contacting me […]

Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)

Olympia Snowe Sen. Olympia Snowe is considered a likely “yes” vote on climate legislation this year. She is a co-chair of the International Climate Change Taskforce, and has been reliably supportive of climate action. Snowe voted in favor of the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act in 2003 and 2005, and she cosponsored the 2007 version of […]

The greenest grocery store, biggest “living wall,” and more eco-innovations

The green-building news is coming so fast and furious it can be hard to delve deeply into each story. So here’s a survey of a few of the shiniest, brand-spankin’-newiest, innovativest projects taking shape: The nation’s greenest green grocer.Fore SolutionsHannaford Supermarket, Augusta, Maine. This grocery store in the Pine Tree State’s unassuming, working-class capital has […]

LCV endorses Republican Susan Collins in Maine Senate race

The League of Conservation Voters has announced that it’s endorsing Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins in her bid for reelection. “Sen. Collins is a leader and a champion for the environment, reaching across party lines to introduce and support bipartisan pieces of legislation that hold oil companies accountable for their high profits, invest in clean […]

Underdog Tom Allen attempts to unseat GOP incumbent Sen. Susan Collins

Maine’s Susan Collins (R) was one of just three senators to receive a perfect score on the League of Conservation Voters’ 2007 scorecard. The next-closest Republican on the list was Collins’ home-state colleague, Olympia Snowe, who earned an 80 percent mark. Susan Collins. Photo: susancollins.com Collins’ lifetime score after 11 years in office is significantly […]

Maine becomes third state to pass tough coal law

Yesterday, Maine Gov. John E. Baldacci signed LD 2126, "An Act To Minimize Carbon Dioxide Emissions from New Coal-Powered Industrial and Electrical Generating Facilities in the State." The law, which was sponsored by Rep. W. Bruce MacDonald (D-Maine), requires the Board of Environmental Protection to develop greenhouse gas emission standards for coal facilities. It also puts a moratorium in place on building any new coal plants until the standards are developed.

Three states (Calif., Wash., and Maine) as well as New Zealand now have laws effectively blocking new coal plants that don't meet a carbon dioxide emission standard roughly equivalent to that of a combined cycle gas plant (i.e., 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour). That standard could be met with even a moderate level of sequestration, but so far no utilities have stepped to the plate. As a result of Washington state's standard, Energy Northwest's proposed Pacific Mountain Energy Center in Kalama was rejected by regulators in November because its plans for carbon capture and sequestration were judged to be merely "a plan to make a plan."

Laws such as Maine's LD 2126 are valuable in blocking plants that merely declare themselves "carbon capture ready." As NRDC's David Hawkins told Congress (PDF): "A 'carbon sequestration optimized' coal power plant is not defined and could mean almost anything, including a plant that simply leaves physical space for an unidentified black box. If that makes a power plant 'capture-ready' Mr. Chairman, then my driveway is 'Ferrari-ready.'"

Obama takes Maine in a wicked pissah

Looks like Obama has won Maine in something of a blowout. This was a state that was widely expected to go to Clinton, and in which she had a commanding lead in the polls through late last year. At this point she’s got to be wishing everyone could just go to sleep until the Texas […]