By Carol McCracken
It’s not the first time that former Governor Angus King has promoted the latest cutting edge technology for his adopted State of Maine – and yesterday afternoon a large audience heard more about the Governor’s latest agenda when he was the keynote speaker at a symposium on energy sponsored by Mainebiz, a statewide business newspaper based in Portland.
Wind power is the solution to our energy needs said the former Governor as he laid out a compelling case for wind power to gradually replace our dependence on fossil fuels. Since Maine relies almost completely on fossil fuels which originate from outside the State for its energy, it is particularly imperative that Maine look to sources within the State to meet its energy needs. We need to stop relying on outside sources and rely on our own instate resources – the wind – the Governor said. Wind is what we have in abundance in Maine. “We also need to stop burning,” he said.
King described a scenerio in which “wind ranches” would incrementally be built miles from the Casco Bay shoreline and therefore invisible from the Casco Bay shoreline – on floats – since the water is too deep to attach such ranches to the ocean floor. It’s an engineering job and solution more than anything else. But it would provide all of the energy needs for the State of Maine. The project could cost between $20 – $25 billion dollars – the same amount we spend on the Iraq War over two months, King said.
The Governor predicted that despite the current decrease in energy costs, that within the decade the price of a barrel will escalate to $300. That eventuality will leave the State in dire circumstances unless changes are implemented.
During his term as Governor of Maine, King introduced computers into public schools – which was a benchmark event for public education in the State and brought recognition from outside the State.
“The wind potential off the coast of Maine could make us the Saudia Arabia of the world,” said King. “There is lots of local interest in the idea. It will happen if people talk about it in Maine.” King is the principalin a wind power business in western Maine.
Ryan Adams, of WarmTech Solutions in Yarmouth, (846-7966) said , “I like King’s plan a lot. If each state along the coast did the same, we could supply the whole country with enough power.” WarmTech insulates with “cellulose that heats and cools more efficiently than conventionally insulated homes.”
The afternoon conference was held at the Wyndham Hotel in South Portland on Thursday, October 30. Mainebiz sponsored the event, a statewide business newspaper based in Portland.
