Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I N O. V I I I A P R I L 1 8 , 2 0 1 6 18 ¡ $70 million in wholesale electricity cost savings ¡ 3,850 jobs between 2015-20 ¡ Hundreds of millions of dollars in construction- related spending ¡ Signifi cant increase to local tax base in Maine ¡ "Energy security and price stability" regionwide, with enough incremental clean energy to power 250,000 homes. "We are very confi dent that when the southern states evaluate all these proposals the evaluators are going to give us high scores on these metrics," Richardson says. orn Dickinson, vice president of business development for AVANGRID Networks, the new parent company of CMP created by the merger of Iberdrola USA and UIL Holdings Corp., says CMP's separate Clean Power Connection proposal eliminates the transmission bottleneck that now exists in western Maine. "Currently, the transmission system in western Maine is completely tapped out," he says, noting that CMP already has all the rights-of-way needed to develop the additional transmission line. "Here we have an opportunity to aggregate that and provide a solution that results in an effi cient way of gathering wind from a transmission perspective while enabling wind developers to compete with other renewable energy sources in New England." Entry Period Now Open! Maine entrepreneurs can compete for $50,000 by submitting a viable business proposal on our website by May 1st. Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender To apply or for more information visit: gorhamsavingsbank.com/launchpad WIN $50,000 FOR YOUR BUSINESS! » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, building wind is essentially an extravagant waste of money, so ruining the hills and mountains isn't worth it. — Chris O'Neil, policy director for Friends of Maine's Mountains Dickinson says for both projects "the direct benefi t to the southern New England states exceeds the cost of the transmission plus the wind. In addition, there's a substantial benefi t associated with the reduction in carbon emissions due to carbon-free generation." Although the electricity generated by the west- ern Maine wind farms would be delivered to south- ern New England, Dickinson says it will benefi t Maine residents by lowering the region's wholesale retail prices for electricity. Like the MREI proposal with Emera Maine, CMP's separate transmission proposal will have the capacity to handle additional renewable power projects, including grid-scale solar that might be proposed in the future. "We'll have a stronger system in Maine that leads to fl exibility for whatever future challenges we have as a state," he says. O'Neil counters: "Utilities are thrilled to build new transmission and get their guaranteed 12% return on equity. When you add it all up, building wind is essentially an extravagant waste of money, so ruining the hills and mountains isn't worth it." Richardson takes issue with the notion that Maine is being exploited by the southern New England states. "I would point out that the economy of Aroostook County depends heavily on exporting," he says. " ey make money from potatoes, for example, not by eating all the potatoes they grow up there but by exporting them. ey make money on specialized lumber and other forest products like wallboard. So, I think people are not opposed to exporting our power, especially if it generates more economic activity, growth and jobs. "It really comes down to if you are OK with hav- ing wind power, then it's a no-brainer. If you are just opposed to wind power, there's nothing I can say to change that." J MC, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at @ . and @ JM

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