Representatives of Maine's pulp and paper
industry said Wednesday that efforts by Gov. Paul LePage's administration to
change the state's renewable energy policies are likely to do more harm than
good when it comes to the price of electricity
The Verso paper mill in Bucksport has plans
to build a biomass energy plant.
They may also hurt the paper industry, which
employs 7,500 workers statewide, according to Bill Cohen, Verso Paper
Corp.'s manager for mill communications and regional government affairs
LePage proposed a bill last legislative
session that would have changed the standard by removing the 100-megawatt cap.
That would have the effect, according to Cohen and Verso, of flooding Maine's
market with power from large hydropower facilities in Quebec. It could make
Verso's recent investment a moot point, Cohen said.
