I was, again, disappointed and embarrassed at the ignorance demonstrated by the statement of state Rep. Jeffrey Hanley of Pittston regarding his opposition to L.D. 1444 pitting the interests of “the trailer parks in his district” against those of “panels (that) are always installed on homes of the wealthy,” as paraphrased in “Bid to reverse LePage veto on solar bill fails again” (April 6, Page B1). The story reported on the failure of the Maine House to override our equally ignorant governor’s veto of the same bill.

We added a 9.9-kilowatt solar array (fully financed for $27,700) to our roof last year because it made financial sense. Loan payments on the voltaic panels were only slightly more than a monthly Central Maine Power bill, and we will own the panels after 10 years of paying for them.

We are decidedly middle class. The only monies we receive from CMP (or the state) is the retail rate per kilowatt hour (7.9206 cents) for the net juice we put back into the grid after using what it takes to run our house, which is the same rate Rep. Hanley pays CMP for his power. That rate just increased by 18 percent, I believe, although our generation system will not increase in cost, and I believe power generated by future solar installations will be even less as the cost of these drops. Are we missing out on other monies we should be getting from the state or CMP? Certainly Rep. Hanley believes we are!

So, would all of the CMP customers who don’t have solar cells be better off to continue paying CMP’s increased retail rates for production from other sources, and are we producers of power better off to get off the grid and finance battery banks and take care of our own needs? Do the math, Maine legislators!

Scott Gile

Orrs Island

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