Small business owners say their main concern is weak customer demand, not regulations, according to independent opinion polling released today. In fact, when asked what would do the most to create jobs, small business owners’ top response was eliminating incentives to move jobs overseas. Reducing regulation came in fifth place.

• 86 percent see regulations as necessary part of a modern economy
• 78 percent of small businesses say regulations needed to protect small businesses from unfair competition, level playing field with big business

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Today, Sanford School Committee Member and Thermal Energy Storage of Maine President Adam Cote  was selected as one of ten rising leaders from across the country to join the NewDEAL, a national network that highlights innovative ideas from state and local elected leaders who are pro-growth progressives.

Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland and U.S. Senator Mark Begich of Alaska, Honorary Chairs of the NewDEAL, recognized Cote for his efforts to grow progress by making clean energy more affordable for Maine’s homes and businesses. Cote joins House Minority Leader Emily Cain as the second NewDEAL Leader from Maine.

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Portland lawmaker Rep. Mark Dion has made a second request for a  formal opinion from the Attorney General on whether State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin’s business dealings in the Popham Beach Club are in violation of Article V, Pt. 3, § 3 of the Maine Constitution, which prohibits the Treasurer from engaging in commerce while serving in office.

Article V, Pt. 3, § 3 reads as follows: “The Treasurer shall not, during the Treasurer’s continuance in office, engage in any business of trade or commerce, or as a broker, nor as an agent or factor for any merchant or trader.”

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Matt talks about the new coalition that promotes and protects workers and their families courtesy photo

“Today we draw the line,” said Maine Women’s Lobby Director of Public Policy Laura Harper, speaking at a press conference announcing the creation of the Maine Working Families Coalition. “With so many Maine people struggling to make ends meet in the worst recession since the Great Depression, we should be working together to find ways to create jobs – not to punish those who have lost theirs.”

The coalition represents a number of civic, service, religious and business organizations from across the state with the shared goal of a balanced approach to growing Maine’s economy that supports both employers and employees. Coalition members assert that economic security for working families is a necessity for future growth of Maine’s businesses and economy.

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Maine Citizens for Clean Energy, a growing nonpartisan coalition of people and organizations committed to strengthening Maine’s energy independence, keeping Maine’s air clean and healthy, creating jobs, increasing energy efficiency, and attracting new clean energy businesses to Maine, responded tonight to Gov. Paul LePage’s State of the State Address.

“Our energy status quo isn’t working,” said Herb Sargent of Sargent Corporation. “Every year, Mainers hand over billions of hard-earned dollars to out-of-state and foreign energy companies. The initiative put forward by Maine Citizens for Clean Energy would help to change that. It would create jobs by investing in energy efficiency, which would help lower electric bills, and it would attract new clean energy businesses to our state. It’s a practical idea that will help put thousands of Mainers to work.”

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ORPC's barge with the company tidal turbine docked in Portland. photo by Ramona du Houx

“Maine’s wave and tidal current resources offer real opportunities to generate renewable energy using water power technologies in the future,” said Energy Secretary Chu. “Together with new advances and innovations in water power technologies, these resource assessments can help to further develop the country’s significant ocean energy resources, create new industries and new jobs in America, and secure U.S. leadership in an emerging global market.”

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released two nationwide resource assessments showing that waves and tidal currents off the nation’s coasts could contribute significantly to the United States’ total annual electricity production, further diversify the nation’s energy portfolio, and provide clean, renewable energy to coastal cities and communities. These new wave and tidal resource assessments, combined with ongoing analyses of the technologies and other resource assessments, show that water power, including conventional hydropower and wave, tidal, and other water power resources, can potentially provide 15 percent of our nation’s electricity by 2030. The reports represent the most rigorous analysis undertaken to date to accurately define the magnitude and location of America’s ocean energy resources.

These resource assessments can help to further develop Maine’s ongoing efforts in tidal technologies, create new jobs and secure Maine’s leadership with Ocean Renewable Power Company, and the University of Maine, in an emerging global market.

Maine was one of the top states for tidal-current power potential, preceded only by Washington state and Alaska. The coast south of Eastport and south of Cross Island were highlighted as spots with larger power potential, according to the report on tidal power. Though the figures are based on some theoretical data, Maine’s tides could generate up to 675 megawatts of total tidal power.

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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. today about the potential for tidal and wind energy off the Maine Coast. Pingree talked about recent reports detailing the potential for tidal power off the Maine coast.

Last week, Energy Secretary Steven Chu released a report detailing the enormous potential for tidal energy off the U.S. coasts.

“Maine’s wave and tidal current resources offer real opportunities to generate renewable energy using water power technologies in the future,” said Energy Secretary Chu. “Together with new advances and innovations in water power technologies, these resource assessments can help to further develop the country’s significant ocean energy resources, create new industries and new jobs in America, and secure U.S. leadership in an emerging global market.”

“There is enough there to meet up to one-third of the country’s energy needs—and he singled out Maine,” said Pingree on the floor of the House.

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A day before the State of the State House and Senate Democratic leaders challenged Gov. Paul LePage to set a more positive tone for the year and to, “put aside ideology and extremism. Why LePage chose to give his address on the same night, as President Barack Obama’s State of the Union remains a mystery.

“Too much time has been spent on distractions on needless fighting, on baseless attacks and on extreme policies that don’t create jobs, that don’t help working families and that don’t strengthen our economy,” said House Minority Leader Emily Cain of Orono.

According to a recent Department of Labor report Maine has lost 4,400 jobs since LePage’s was inaugurated. Department of Labor, while unemployment levels have remained flat.

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Kestrel CEO Alan Klapmeier and his partner Alan Galley with their turboprop

“We’re getting an important segment of the company and that should not be dismissed,” Levesque told the MRRA board last Tuesday.

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First Wind announced it has received unanimous approval from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for its proposed 150 MW Oakfield Wind project in Aroostook County, Maine. First Wind submitted an amendment in June 2011 to increase the size of the original proposal for a 51 MW Oakfield project, which had received full approval from the Maine DEP in January 2010.

“We are very pleased that the DEP has approved our plans in Oakfield,” said Matt Kearns, Vice President of Business Development at First Wind. “

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