Via the Portland Press Herald, Phil Coupe offers another view, countering LePage unofficial energy advisor James LaBrecque’s argument for expensive imported hydro power, relating this diversionary idea to Paul LePage’s anti-solar agenda:

In a June 24 column attacking solar energy, James LaBrecque argues that importing hydro power would be cheaper than investing in local solar. Getting Canadian power here would require billions of ratepayer dollars to build massive new transmission lines. That puts foreign hydro power at double the cost of locally generated solar.

The fact is, the price of electricity (including solar) is dropping while the cost of the grid continues going up. Transmission costs are now twice what they were when Gov. LePage came into office.

Other states are controlling the cost of the grid by incentivizing solar and by forcing utilities to implement new technologies that make the existing grid smarter and more efficient. Here, our governor and transmission utilities have joined forces to make war on solar.