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The costs and benefits of Maine’s recent solar energy boom – and how to measure them – dominated testimony Tuesday in a legislative committee hearing that may result in a temporary moratorium on state solar energy incentives.
Members of the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee began to dig into conflicting data and viewpoints on the financial incentives enacted in 2019 to support the state’s clean-energy and climate goals.
There was wide agreement among committee members that solar policies enacted two years ago have led to a wave of proposed projects, hundreds of millions of dollars in investment and a surge in jobs. But it also became clear that not all solar projects are created equal. Some – based on their size or location, for instance – are better deals for electricity customers than others.