Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

“Catastrophe” Awaits Maine: Angus King
The Ellsworth American ^ | Thursday, June 19, 2008

Posted on 06/20/2008 7:58:42 AM PDT by Bulwinkle

That’s the word not from Chicken Little, but from former Maine Governor Angus King, who says he doesn’t use the term “catastrophe” lightly.

“This is a human catastrophe coming at us in the state of Maine in terms of energy supply and costs,” King said last week at a daylong seminar on harnessing tidal energy and offshore wind to confront runaway energy costs, costs he sees as a direct threat to Maine being habitable.

“This winter, the cost of fuel oil is going to more than double,” he said. “What’s being quoted now is $4.96 — $5 a gallon. That’s $1,000 to fill up your tank in the basement one time, and most people are going to have to fill up their tank six times.

“How is somebody who is making $350 or $400 a week going to pay to fill up the tank to keep warm? How are they going to pay to fill up the truck to get to work? This is, I think, the most serious crisis to ever face the state of Maine.” ...

... “This is a catastrophe,” he said. “This isn’t business as usual. This isn’t some minor little problem. This isn’t do not pass school buses or what’s the speed limit on the Interstate. This is a disaster in the state of Maine that’s coming at us.” ...

...“Eighty percent of homes in Maine are heated with oil,” he said. “The national average is 9 percent. If you do the math, 87 percent of the total energy bill of the average Maine person is dependent on oil or natural gas, and that is a particularly serious problem.”

(Excerpt) Read more at ellsworthmaine.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; US: Maine
KEYWORDS: energy; oil; wood
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081 next last
My mom and two of my sisters live outside of Farmington and my third sister lives up in Carrabassett Valley
1 posted on 06/20/2008 7:58:42 AM PDT by Bulwinkle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Bulwinkle
Angus, you just need to encourage your constituents to put tidal wave generators in the basements.

That will surely more than provide all the energy they deserve.

2 posted on 06/20/2008 8:00:50 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bulwinkle

I live in Maine and write a column 2-3 times a week on a local web site. I’ve been talking about a coming “catastrophe” for a few months now and the only response I get is from environmentalists who basically tell me to stop harping on the subject!!! Maine’s a weird place.....

Freezing to death is NOT a nice way to go.


3 posted on 06/20/2008 8:03:08 AM PDT by MrLee (Sha'alu Shalom Yerushalyim!! God bless Eretz Israel.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bulwinkle

“This winter, the cost of fuel oil is going to more than double,”

Thats 5K for a modest home


4 posted on 06/20/2008 8:04:18 AM PDT by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bulwinkle

At least she is sounding an alarm to do something now.

If I were in that position and had oil heat (I don’t have it now) I would start to look at electric baseboard and better insulation.


5 posted on 06/20/2008 8:04:44 AM PDT by WakeUpAndVote (Huh?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bulwinkle
There was a time when Maine Governors didn't whine and snivel about crises, but simply did what was necessary to "affix" them.


6 posted on 06/20/2008 8:05:56 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MrLee

Hey...

But the polar bears are happy...

Right?

;)


7 posted on 06/20/2008 8:06:09 AM PDT by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Bulwinkle

80% of homes are heated by oil? Wow. Maybe some incentives (tax break?) for converting to natural gas or propane are in the offing.


8 posted on 06/20/2008 8:07:06 AM PDT by dbwz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MrLee

It’s not that bad.
You get chilly and you start to slow down.
Then, you get sleepy and a little numb.
As you go out, a wave of peaceful euphoria sweeps over you and you actually feel a little warm.

Much better than the opposite.


9 posted on 06/20/2008 8:10:25 AM PDT by SJSAMPLE
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Bulwinkle
Maine Food/Energy Crisis = Senators Snow and Collins
10 posted on 06/20/2008 8:15:31 AM PDT by lormand (Support your local and state Conservative representative in November (assuming you have one))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SJSAMPLE

Not getting this. There is so damn much wood in Maine, they could rely on the technology they have used for hundreds of years: The Stove. Wow. Breakthrough.

The people on the coast tend to be affluent. They are OK. The ones in the interior are poor, but they have lots of wood to use. The governor is in some altnernate reality.


11 posted on 06/20/2008 8:16:14 AM PDT by bioqubit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: SJSAMPLE

True leaders lead by EXAMPLE - doing it themselves and then showing the people how its done - NO ONE in Congress is a true leader for all I see is a bunch of whiners, hypocrites, and SUV drivers that have a ton of money in their own pockets while pointing fingers at the big oil execs who may have the same amount of money in their pockets,but atleast they give us something for their money - oil. We get nothing but empty campaign promises and botox treated faces (which we pay for on our tax dollars) and lies through their teeth! It’s time for a real revolution in this country - DRILL HERE, DRILL NOW! (www.americansolutions.com)


12 posted on 06/20/2008 8:16:38 AM PDT by princess leah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: WakeUpAndVote

Electric rates in Maine are among the highest in the Nation........


13 posted on 06/20/2008 8:16:45 AM PDT by MrLee (Sha'alu Shalom Yerushalyim!! God bless Eretz Israel.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Bulwinkle

I missed the part in the article where his solutions were presented.


14 posted on 06/20/2008 8:16:49 AM PDT by <1/1,000,000th%
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bulwinkle

I owned a house for 20 years that was heated by oil.The last delivery I got before I sold it (about 4 years ago) the price was $1.69/gallon.Now it’s up to almost $5/gallon? Holy Mother of God!!!!!!


15 posted on 06/20/2008 8:18:03 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Will the dancing Hitlers please wait in the wings? We're only seeing singing Hitlers.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bulwinkle

Windmills generating power for electric heat would preclude the need for the oil furnace to kick on most of the time. But the liberal elites will oppose them, because they’re UGLY!


16 posted on 06/20/2008 8:20:47 AM PDT by JimRed ("Hey, hey, Teddy K., how many girls did you drown today?" TERM LIMITS, NOW!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MrLee
"Freezing to death is NOT a nice way to go."

I'll bet the elite (Collins/Snow/King/) will sleep warm and snug regardless.

17 posted on 06/20/2008 8:24:33 AM PDT by lormand (Support your local and state Conservative representative in November (assuming you have one))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Bulwinkle

Maybe one of these days soon folks will wake up and realize that nuclear power plants are needed ASAP and as many as possible. In the meantime they’ll continue having these problems.


18 posted on 06/20/2008 8:25:23 AM PDT by OB1kNOb (ISLAM IS THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST, DIRECTED BY SATAN AND HIS FALLEN MINIONS.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gay State Conservative

Maine Oil ...interesting cite...give prices from suppliers around the state:
Ellsworth $4.819

http://maineoil.com/


19 posted on 06/20/2008 8:30:11 AM PDT by Bulwinkle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Bulwinkle

http://maineoil.com/

Those prices are not always current and tend to be 40-50 cents lower than the actual selling price.

$4.99 in my area and that site says $4.56.


20 posted on 06/20/2008 8:35:01 AM PDT by MrLee (Sha'alu Shalom Yerushalyim!! God bless Eretz Israel.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson