AUGUSTA -- An additional assessment on electric bills would help an
already successful program do even better, supporters of an energy
efficiency measure said Thursday.
Opponents said it would hurt businesses and customers.
An
assessment that generates money for the state's Efficiency Maine
program would increase to three-tenths of a cent per kilowatt hour by
2009, under a bill being considered by the Utilities and Energy
Committee.
The current assessment for the program is .145 cent per kilowatt hour.
A dairy farmer, a developer, college students and others told lawmakers that the state's Efficiency Maine program works.
Efficiency Maine, run by the Maine Public Utilities Commission, seeks to promote the efficient use of electricity.
"If
it hadn't been for this program, I'd probably still be trying to do it
the old way," said Knox dairy farmer Harold Larrabee. "We should always
think energy smart, conservation first."
Larrabee
said he replaced equipment on his farm with an energy-efficient vacuum
pump and fans, which made him eligible for a rebate through the
Efficiency Maine program.
Augusta
developer William Dowling spoke on behalf of Harper's Development,
which he said has benefitted from energy-efficient cooling units.
"It's
like comparing a Rolls-Royce to a Volkswagen," said Dowling, who also
is mayor of Augusta. "It saved us $32,000 a year in electrical costs."
But paper mill executives, Central Maine Power Co. officials and others spoke against the increased assessment.
David Allen of Central Maine Power Co. said it's the wrong time to increase the assessment.
"This
new tax on our customers would be imposed beginning in a year when we
are likely to see other large price increases," he said.
Allen
said Mainers already do a good job conserving energy, and they already
buy energy-efficient appliances. He said only those who apply for the
Efficiency Maine benefit from the fund.
"This
tax takes in equal amounts from rich and poor, and the financial
benefits go only to those who are able to take advantage of the
program," he said.
The increased assessment is only one part of a six-part bill sponsored by Sen. Philip Bartlett, D-Gorham.
Other
provisions seek to make schools more energy-efficient and allow the
state to develop energy standards for furnaces and boilers.
