April 14, 2008
State enacts temporary ban on coal plants
Governor John Baldacci last week signed a law that essentially bans any development in Maine of power plants that use coal as a feed stock until the state can create standards for the emission and capture of carbon dioxide.
The law doesn't single out any one proposal, but the elephant in the room is Twin River Energy Center's $1.5 billion proposal to build a coal gasification plant on former Maine Yankee land in Wiscasset. Wiscasset residents in November voted against a height variance for Twin River Energy, but Connecticut-based National RE/sources, which was behind Twin River, said it would revise its proposal. The law would prohibit the state from authorizing a coal gasification plant until at least August 2011.
The law, sponsored by Rep. Bruce MacDonald (D-Boothbay), requires the Maine Board of Environmental Protection to create standards for the emission and capture of carbon dioxide by August 2011, according to the state's Office of Legislative Information.
The law doesn't single out any one proposal, but the elephant in the room is Twin River Energy Center's $1.5 billion proposal to build a coal gasification plant on former Maine Yankee land in Wiscasset. Wiscasset residents in November voted against a height variance for Twin River Energy, but Connecticut-based National RE/sources, which was behind Twin River, said it would revise its proposal. The law would prohibit the state from authorizing a coal gasification plant until at least August 2011.
The law, sponsored by Rep. Bruce MacDonald (D-Boothbay), requires the Maine Board of Environmental Protection to create standards for the emission and capture of carbon dioxide by August 2011, according to the state's Office of Legislative Information.
Mainebiz web partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments