In an op-ed commentary (BDN, Feb. 25), Carroll Lee, the former president and chief operating officer of Bangor Hydro, argues that Gov. John Baldacci’s solar energy plan would hurt Maine’s economy. There are, in fact, no data supporting Lee’s claim. However, there is substantial evidence that renewable energy would create more jobs, raise wages and boost our economy.

Before we examine the positive economic impact of clean renewable energy, it is important first to study the human and economic impact of our current energy usage.

Maine has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma, which has been linked to bad air quality. Acadia National Park frequently has bad air days in the summer. The air quality makes it unsafe to enjoy the activities, which encourage visitors to travel to Maine. Mainers and visitors to our state expect clean air and breathtaking views of our beautiful coastline. Tourism, the largest economic driver in our state, relies on the views and recreational opportunities of Maine.

One in six women in Maine and around the country has blood levels of mercury that threaten the health of their unborn children. Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of mercury emissions, contaminating everything from fish to humans as it works its way up the food chain. In Maine, women are warned not to eat any freshwater fish and certain saltwater fish. Mercury pollution threatens public health and the recreational and commercial fishing industries. Maine cannot afford any energy policy, which advocates more of the same.

Dirty energy clearly hurts Maine’s people, economy and environment. However, there is something more essential that Mainers may lose: our way of life. We Mainers are an industrious people. We learn as children to “waste not.” As fishermen we bring our catch home and fry it on a grill for dinner. As sportsmen, we use all of the animals we hunt. We cannot afford to lose our tradition because we refuse to examine the positive aspects of clean job creating renewable energy.

The crux of Lee’s argument focuses on what he calls “subsidies” to solar and clean energy. If we want to examine subsidies we need look no farther than the subsidies which current power plants receive – a staggering $35 billion nationally in taxpayer money, which is included in the Bush administration’s energy bill. The same bill provides little incentive for clean energy. A recent study done by Environment Maine examines the economic impact of taking those subsidies which now support dirty energy and instead investing in clean energy. This report also studies the impact of implementing a 20 percent national renewable energy standard by 2020.

The report disproves Lee’s argument and emphasizes the positive economic impact of clean renewable energy. It concludes that investing in clean energy would:

. create 215,308 net jobs in 2020 and a net annual average of 154,589 jobs between 2005-2020;

. increase wages by $6.8 billion in 2020;

. increase the gross domestic product by an annual average of $5.9 billion between 2005 and 2020;

. save all consumers – residential, commercial, and industrial – $11 billion on natural gas bills in 2020 and $16.2 billion on electricity;

. reduce global warming carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 27 percent of 2002 levels.

In Maine, renewable energy provides many economic opportunities. The town of Mars Hill will soon host the state’s first wind farm – boosting tax revenue and contributing to landowners’ income. Because the fuel is free, wind energy is cost competitive with dirty energy sources like oil and natural gas.

Last year Gov. Baldacci proposed legislation to increase the amount of wind, solar, geothermal and tidal energy created in Maine each year. Similar legislation was introduced this session in an effort to stimulate a growing economic sector and protect our environment and public health. In discussions with the governor last year, General Electric even suggested that if Maine had a strong clean energy standard they would consider locating a wind-turbine manufacturing plant in the state.

Gov. Baldacci and our senators understand that clean renewable energy creates jobs, increases wages and boosts our economy. However, clean energy does something more essential and harder to enumerate. Clean energy protects our Maine way of life, tradition and values. It ensures that generations to come will enjoy the beauty of a Cadillac sunrise, the smell of fresh crisp Maine air, the flavor of fresh Maine lobster and the serenity of day spent fishing with our families.

This commentary was written by Arden Manning, field organizer of Environment Maine, based in Portland; Kenneth Rozeboom, of Rozeboom Brokerage Inc. in Bangor; and Deirdre McArdle,

of The Medical Alternative in Ellsworth.