Renewable energy measure pushed to 2013 ballot
Maine Citizens for Clean Energy did not gather enough signatures by yesterday's deadline to puts its proposal to increase the amount of renewable electricity sold in Maine, so the group will instead aim to put the measure to voters in 2013.
The group, which describes itself as a coalition of businesses, workers and environmental and public health groups, will continue gathering signatures for its proposal to raise the ratio of renewable electricity sold in Maine from 10% to 20%, according to a press release. The coalition also wants measures to ensure electric utilities invest in cost-effective energy efficiency. It needed 57,277 signatures to qualify for this November's ballot. Spokesman David Farmer said the group "didn't have enough of a margin to be confident about qualifying for 2012," and that "one more week likely would have been enough."
Gov. Paul LePage, who criticized the proposal in his State of the State address, said in a press release that the coalition's "failure to gather signatures is an indication that hard-working Mainers are skeptical of this job-killing proposal." LePage said the proposal would have raised energy prices for Maine ratepayers by $44 million to $80 million, and that it would "pad the pockets of special interest groups."
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