Dear Jim: The sun feels warm shining in a large south-facing kitchen window. I don’t have a lot of money to spend, but I would like to find a simple method to get more of the sun’s heat. What are my options? -Stephen G. Dear… Read More
ROBBINSTON – It was a nuts-and-bolts kind of meeting Thursday and when it was over the Planning Board gave Downeast LNG approval – contingent on it getting the necessary state and federal permits – to seek the rest of the permits it needs to build a multi-million-dollar liquefied… Read More
ROBBINSTON – Landowners were notified last week that the Washington, D.C.-based Downeast LNG has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to begin the environmental review process for the company’s proposed $400 million liquefied natural gas terminal near Route 1. On Jan. 25, FERC granted Downeast… Read More
EASTPORT – “Bring on your comments and concerns” was the message delivered Tuesday evening by the environmental project manager that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has assigned to Quoddy Bay LLC’s proposed liquefied natural gas project for the Pleasant Point reservation. “We will use your… Read More
WASHINGTON – The United States increasingly is going overseas to meet its natural gas needs, setting in motion a significant shift with a familiar, if unpleasant, side effect for the world’s largest energy consumer. As America becomes a bigger player in the global natural gas… Read More
Keeping pace with increasing costs has renewed interest in alternative fuels such as wood, coal, propane and natural gas. Each Monday on the Business page, the Bangor Daily News is featuring timely and relevant stories and graphics devoted to topics that matter to motorists, homeowners and businesses. Most… Read More
PORTLAND – Members of the “Hot Squad” team have been selected and the team is ready to make one Maine family’s heating dreams come true. In a new reality series created by Maine’s WB, a Portland-based television station, and Executive Producer John Marshall, the program will be a… Read More
ORRINGTON – Chuck Graffam has always given, never taken. After working 19 years in mechanical services for a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning company, Graffam knows the meaning of a hard day’s work. So it’s hard for him to believe that in a month his dark… Read More
Dear Jim: Lately, I have been hearing more about electric fireplace kits to help heat my home. Do they produce enough heat to warm a house and do they require new wiring? Do the flames look realistic? – Nick B. Dear Nick: As homeowners’ heating… Read More
ST. STEPHEN, New Brunswick – A vocal opponent of plans to build a liquefied natural gas facility in Passamaquoddy Bay has been named to a post in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s new Conservative government. Greg Thompson, 58, a member of Parliament from New Brunswick, was… Read More
PLEASANT POINT – If siting a liquefied natural gas terminal Down East was a horse race, then Quoddy Bay LLC is ahead of the pack. Project Manager Brian Smith announced Wednesday that Quoddy Bay had filed its first resource report with the Federal Energy Regulatory… Read More
PLEASANT POINT – The Passamaquoddy Joint Tribal Council says it’s not interested in giving an Oklahoma-based liquefied natural gas developer tax exempt status as he pursues building a $500 million liquefied natural gas facility at Split Rock. And the Joint Tribal Council made its feelings… Read More
Editor’s Note: These articles are the kickoff of a New England Futures Project aimed at identifying 21st century challenges facing the six-state region. Citizen reaction and participation, leading to a shared regional agenda, are key to the project. Comments are welcome at www.newenglandfutures.org. Journalists Neal Peirce and Curtis… Read More
Editor’s Note: These articles are the kickoff of a New England Futures Project aimed at identifying 21st century challenges facing the six-state region. Citizen reaction and participation, leading to a shared regional agenda, are key to the project. Comments are welcome at www.newenglandfutures.org. Journalists Neal Peirce and Curtis… Read More
Q. In the Monday paper you had an article about attic moisture. Dr. Dick Hill indicated in the article that one should not use a humidifier under any circumstances. Was this just in reference to the attic moisture issue, or did he mean not ever? I was under… Read More
CALAIS – It could become the first and only tribally owned liquefied natural gas facility in the country, and the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township hopes that this city will be its partner. At a joint meeting of the Calais City Council and planning board… Read More
Dear Jim: My windows are not the most efficient. I am redecorating my home and I thought about installing insulating window shades and curtains. Will these help much and what types are the most energy efficient? – Tina S. Dear Tina: Inefficient windows are a… Read More
Keeping pace with increasing costs has renewed interest in alternative fuels such as wood, coal, propane and natural gas. Each Monday on the Business page, the Bangor Daily News is featuring timely and relevant stories and graphics devoted to topics that matter to motorists, homeowners and businesses. Most… Read More
Energy Q & A Q. We are having a problem with moisture in our unfinished, unheated attic. The moisture will freeze on the inside of the attic roof and make a mess when it thaws and runs down into the house in the warmer weather. Read More
Editor’s Note: These articles are part of the New England Futures Project aimed at identifying 21st century challenges facing the six-state region. Citizen reaction and participation leading to a shared regional agenda are key to the project. Comments are welcome at www.newenglandfutures.org. Journalists Neal Peirce and Curtis Johnson… Read More
BOSTON – Opponents of a proposed natural gas terminal in Fall River have filed an appeal with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, charging safety and legal issues were not considered when a federal commission approved its construction. The appeal was filed… Read More
ST. STEPHEN, New Brunswick – For years Member of Parliament Greg Thompson was in the federal government’s minority party in Canada, but no more. On Monday, Thompson’s Conservative Party, led by Stephen Harper, walked away with the majority after a national election, and Thompson promises… Read More
DOVER, Del. – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday granted a request by Delaware to appoint a special master in a border dispute case with New Jersey. The dispute involves New Jersey’s effort to help energy giant BP build a liquefied natural gas plant on… Read More
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a New England Futures Project aimed at identifying 21st century challenges facing the six-state region. Citizen reaction and participation, leading to a shared regional agenda, are key to the project. Comments are welcome at www.newenglandfutures.org. Journalists Neal Peirce and Curtis Johnson… Read More
Q: Hello. A while back I read an article on corn stoves made in Stetson by Frank Provencal. Do you have a phone number and address of his company, and could you give it to me? I would like to know more and also the cost of such… Read More
Dear Jim: With gas prices so high now, I think I should replace my old furnace even though it still works. I want the most efficient design to save money and reduce pollution. What models should I consider? – Pete J. Dear Pete: With today’s… Read More
Editor’s Note: Keeping pace with increasing energy costs has renewed interest in alternative fuels such as wood, coal, propane and natural gas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0;… Read More
These articles are the kickoff of a New England Futures Project aimed at identifying 21st century challenges facing the six-state region. Citizen reaction and participation, leading to a shared regional agenda, are key to the project. Your comments are welcome at www.newenglandfutures.org. Journalists Neal Peirce and Curtis Johnson… Read More
New Englanders filling their gas tanks in September 2004 paid an average of $1.87 a gallon; this summer the price was $2.54, and for weeks in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, more than $3. In 2003, home heating oil cost $1.23 a gallon, this September it spiked to… Read More
Editor’s Note: Keeping pace with increasing energy costs has renewed interest in alternative fuels such as wood, coal, propane and natural gas. Each Monday on the Business page, the Bangor Daily News is featuring timely and relevant stories and graphics devoted to topics that matter… Read More
Editor’s Note: These articles are the kickoff of a New England Futures Project aimed at identifying key 21st century challenges facing the six-state region. Citizen reaction and participation, leading to a shared regional agenda, are key to the project. Your comments are welcome at www.newenglandfutures.org. Journalists Neal Peirce… Read More
In an age of clever commercial and place branding, how about New England? Las Vegas is flash. New York is the Big Apple. So how does this historic, established corner of the nation remind the world that it exists, excels, offers uniquely wonderful qualities? How can it use… Read More
These articles are the kickoff of a New England Futures Project aimed at identifying key 21st century challenges facing the six-state region. Citizen reaction and participation, leading to a shared regional agenda, are key to the project. Your input is welcome at www.newenglandfutures.org. Journalists Neal Peirce and Curtis… Read More
An Oklahoma City company that hopes to build a liquefied natural gas terminal on Passamaquoddy Bay announced Wednesday that its pre-filing application request has been approved by federal regulators. In a prepared statement, Quoddy Bay LLC indicated that its preliminary proposal to build an LNG… Read More
ROBBINSTON – Voters Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a referendum question that now gives a Washington D.C.-based liquefied natural gas developer the green light to move forward with plans to build a $400 million terminal in this Washington County community. The vote was 227-83. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Editor’s Note: Keeping pace with increasing energy costs has renewed interest in alternative fuels such as wood, coal, propane and natural gas. Each Monday on the Business page, the Bangor Daily News is featuring timely and relevant stories and graphics devoted to topics that matter… Read More
BERLIN, N.H. – Christian Loranger has gone from farming cranberries to farming wind. If all goes according to plan, three windmills he is erecting on Mount Jericho will be producing electricity by the end of the month, a first for the state. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Q: Since my hot water tank is heated by propane gas and since I cannot wrap it, how may I make it more energy efficient? I have placed insulation wrap on the hot water pipe that leads out of the tank. What else may I do? – Barbara… Read More
Editor’s Note: Keeping pace with increasing energy costs has renewed interest in alternative fuels such as wood, coal, propane and natural gas. Each Monday on the Business page, the Bangor Daily News is featuring timely and relevant stories and graphics devoted to topics that matter… Read More
The Maine Public Utilities Commission recently voted to provide the last piece of funding needed to launch the first Whole House energy efficiency program in Maine in nearly two decades. This program will reduce energy costs in participating Maine homes by between 10 percent and… Read More
Some brands of wood boilers that I have looked at talk about high temperature “gassification” heating that supposedly is more efficient and produces less creosote. I’m a little unclear if this is just some advertising hype or an actual benefit. Of course, these same systems are also quite… Read More
ROBBINSTON – A referendum set for Jan. 10 asking, “Shall the town approve the proposed Downeast liquefied natural gas terminal at Mill Cove?” appears to some residents as an up or down vote on the $400 million project. But a majority “no” vote won’t actually… Read More
ROBBINSTON – Residents will gather for a public hearing tonight in advance of a townwide referendum to support or reject a liquefied natural gas facility proposed for Mill Cove on Passamaquoddy Bay. The two principals of Downeast LNG, the company behind the project, will outline… Read More
AUGUSTA – Now that an Oklahoma developer has prefiled with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission its application to build a liquefied natural gas import terminal on Passamaquoddy tribal land, state agencies are gearing up to respond to an aggressive schedule of filing formalities. Gov. John… Read More
AUGUSTA – With a map of Passamaquoddy Bay looming behind him, Donald M. Smith cast modesty aside Tuesday as he outlined plans for the construction of Maine’s first liquefied natural gas terminal. “It is going to be the most reliable source of natural gas that… Read More
An article in Tuesday’s State section about the liquefied natural gas project proposed for the Passamaquoddy Tribe’s Pleasant Point reservation indicated that attorney Craig Francis is no longer the legal counsel for the tribe. While Francis has taken a position with private law firm Jensen Baird Gardner &… Read More
PERRY – The million-dollars-a-year offer from an Oklahoma developer is back on the table – if the town of Perry is willing to support a liquefied natural gas facility. But the signatures on the offer this time around are not those of the town’s three… Read More
Q: I am interested in building a newer, smaller and more energy-efficient home. In my preliminary research, it seems as though there are a lot more choices when it comes to insulating a home these days. Could you explain the differences (pros and cons) between traditional fiberglass batting,… Read More
The high cost of gasoline and heating oil is steering Mainers back to the basics of personal energy management. Keeping pace with the march of petroleum prices has renewed interest in alternative fuels such as wood, coal, propane and natural gas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
According to a recent state report on improving the economy of Washington County, one of the most promising areas is energy, including liquefied natural gas. Although not the sole answer, an LNG terminal, it said, would bring jobs to the area. Done right, such a facility could be… Read More
An Oklahoma City company on Friday became the first firm trying to develop a liquefied natural gas terminal on Passamaquoddy Bay to file a formal notice about its intent with federal regulators. Quoddy Bay, LLC, hopes to build an LNG terminal on Passamaquoddy tribal land… Read More
Coast Guard studies risk of LNG transport Threats to fuel infrastructure by al-Qaida lead to caution
COVE POINT, Md. – Michael Bradshaw cut short the small talk and let his twin 225 horsepower Honda outboards roar. A pleasure boat was nearing the Coast Guard-enforced protection zone as the Tanaga Empat, a massive double-hulled tanker carrying volatile liquefied natural gas from Trinidad, steamed up the… Read More
ROBBINSTON – A vote next month should turn up the heat on whether a liquefied natural gas terminal will be built Down East. Faced with dueling petitions – one asking for a delay in an up or down vote on the project, the other asking… Read More
The high cost of gasoline and heating oil is steering Mainers back to the basics of personal management. Keeping pace with the march of petroleum prices has renewed interest in alternative fuels such as wood, coal, propane and natural gas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
Q: I am considering building a new, smaller home. This new home would be well insulated and have low-e windows. However I have a bit of a quandary, as I am wondering if there is a significant benefit in going to a radiant floor heating system over a… Read More
Homeowners are not the only ones who should be concerned about energy bills this winter. The Better Business Bureau offers these tips for business owners seeking to conserve energy in light of the rising price of fuel and energy: ? Conduct an energy audit. Ask… Read More
Lesley Pinder knows that if her neighbors make a mistake, people could die. So the Deer Island, New Brunswick, doctor has immersed herself in the LNG imbroglio, including organizing fellow seagoing sailors this summer to form a flotilla to protest the planned construction of… Read More
Like any other developers, those who would bring liquefied natural gas terminals to Down East Maine likely would list three factors they consider when looking for a place to build. Location, location, location. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
ST. ANDREWS, New Brunswick – Canadians just want those “developers from away” to be a little more neighborly and listen to their concerns about plans to build liquefied natural gas terminals in Passamaquoddy Bay. A portion of the bay is in their backyard. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
According to Tamara Young-Allen, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s spokeswoman for LNG, none of the three developers who have publicly announced intentions to build LNG terminals in Washington County has filed any paperwork with the federal agency. A development company seeking to build a liquefied… Read More
Just as there are two sides of Passamaquoddy Bay there are two sides to the liquefied natural gas story. In the Nov. 26-27 op-ed by Peter Norris much reference is made to the opposition in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, to apparently any LNG proposal facility in the bay… Read More
WASHINGTON – Boston officials concerned about potential terror strikes are asking federal regulators to block a proposed natural gas pipeline until they get assurances the project won’t bring more tanker traffic to the city’s harbor. “Any project that would mean additional LNG ship traffic in… Read More
Depending upon where you live, home heating costs are projected to rise anywhere from 30 percent to 70 percent this winter. This is especially devastating news for seniors and those on fixed incomes who are already having a difficult time making ends meet. The good… Read More
The high cost of gasoline and heating oil is steering Maine people back to the basics of personal management. Keeping pace with the march of petroleum prices has renewed interest in alternative fuels – wood, coal, propane and natural gas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
PLEASANT POINT – The state Bureau of Parks and Lands has asked an Oklahoma developer of a proposed liquefied natural gas facility to “table” its application for a submerged lands lease on the Pleasant Point Reservation until that company is better prepared to go forward. Read More
MILLINOCKET – Robert Moscone is on the verge of realizing a dream he has worked at for more than 16 years. Arrayed in and around Moscone’s Bates Street sales and service shop are the fruition of thousands and thousands of hours of toil and dreaming,… Read More
The high cost of gasoline and heating oil is steering Maine people back to the basics of personal energy management. Keeping pace with the march of petroleum prices has renewed interest in alternative fuels – wood, coal, propane and natural gas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Among those discussing the merits or otherwise of siting liquefied natural gas facilities on the Maine coast of the Passamaquoddy Bay, the rare references to Canada’s position have tended to focus on whether it can stop LNG tankers passing through its territorial waters at Head Harbor. Read More
The high cost of gasoline and heating oil is steering Maine people back to the basics of personal energy management. Keeping pace with the march of petroleum prices has renewed interest in alternative fuels – wood, coal, propane and natural gas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Corn stoves are said to be very efficient and economical, but Maine dealers are reportedly out of stock. Are there no corn stove manufacturers in Maine? If not, is there any agency which can provide incentives to a Maine company to start making them? Imported stoves tend to… Read More
BANGOR – For two decades, scores of chain saws have sat idle in Maine sheds, no longer needed after the oil shortages of the 1970s and early 1980s gave way to relatively economical oil heat. That’s not to say a lot of Maine people didn’t… Read More
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – In just a few short years, New England may run short of natural gas. Energy analysts predict that by 2010, and perhaps sooner, there won’t be enough supply to fulfill the region’s energy needs. But plans to ensure supplies don’t run short… Read More
MACHIAS – Three proposals to introduce liquefied natural gas to Washington County present challenges and opportunities and would boost the region’s economy, concludes a report on options for Down East Maine prepared for Gov. John Baldacci. Tapped by the governor to assess economic options for… Read More
EASTPORT – Believers in the Passamaquoddy Bay’s economic engine are putting their money where their mouths are – and they hope that the public and even private developers seeking to position heavy industry on the bay will join them. They have commissioned a comprehensive study… Read More
The high cost of gasoline and heating oil is steering Maine people back to the basics of personal energy management. Keeping pace with the march of petroleum prices has renewed interest in alternative fuels – wood, coal, propane and natural gas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Central Maine Power Co. is touting small, efficient electric heaters as ways to save on energy bills this coming winter. If you are going to be in a small, contained area for a length of time, it may be cost-efficient to use an electric heater rather than fire… Read More
Joy Rising asks: A friend and I are interested in making something happen for the community of Eastport with alternative energy – wind, sun, or turbines to get energy from the tides that zoom among our islands. When we look online, we are overwhelmed with… Read More
BREWER – Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline LLC, which ships natural gas through Maine to Massachusetts, is hoping to triple its capacity and is holding regional open house events all next week to allow residents to preview their plans. Open houses will be held on Monday… Read More
The soaring cost of gasoline and heating oil is steering Maine people back to the basics of personal energy management. Keeping pace with the march of petroleum prices has renewed interest in alternative fuels – wood, coal, propane and natural gas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
An e-mail to the BDN asks: How is snow kept off solar arrays? Are there built-in heaters? googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) {… Read More
Dear Jim: With natural gas prices so high, I want to install an efficient wood-burning fireplace to help heat my home. I have an open masonry one, but it does not heat well. What kind of fireplace should I get? – Gus H. Dear Gus:… Read More
STETSON – If Maine’s entrepreneurs can make vodka from potatoes and season dog biscuits with blueberries, why not turn corn into fuel? A Stetson businessman is banking that the soaring costs of traditional fuels will continue a surge of interest in alternative fuels and stoves,… Read More
PLEASANT POINT – Minus the support of their tribal leaders, a handful of Passamaquoddy tribal elders who live at Pleasant Point called attention on Thursday to the stress and divisions that the tribe’s decision to pursue a liquefied natural gas facility on the Pleasant Point reservation has wrought… Read More
PLEASANT POINT – A civil lawsuit filed in federal court Wednesday by six members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe contends that four federal laws were broken when the Bureau of Indian Affairs approved a land lease agreement with an Oklahoma developer who wants to build a liquefied natural gas… Read More
BANGOR – Six members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point said they will file a federal lawsuit involving liquefied natural gas development issues today against the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior at U.S. District Court in Bangor. The… Read More
AUGUSTA – Over the last three years, some 360 nonprofit entities – hospitals, school districts, municipal governments, colleges and museums – have saved $7 million on electricity, thanks to Maine Power Options. With electricity rates likely to climb steeply in the coming months, several eligible… Read More
The soaring cost of gasoline and heating oil is steering Maine people back to the basics of personal energy management. Keeping pace with the march of petroleum prices has renewed interest in alternative fuels – wood, coal, propane and natural gas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
FREDERICTON, New Brunswick – Canadian opponents of proposed liquefied natural gas terminals in Maine say U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins is wrong when he says Ottawa could do little to stop the controversial projects. Reaction was swift Thursday after Wilkins told a Moncton newspaper that if… Read More
CALAIS – The question of whether Canada can prevent ships carrying liquefied natural gas from traveling through its waters near Campobello Island left area residents scratching their heads Wednesday night. And it was clear from U.S. Coast Guard officials that high-ranking federal officials are trying… Read More
The soaring cost of gasoline and heating oil is steering Maine people back to the basics of personal energy management. Keeping pace with the march of petroleum prices has renewed interest in alternative fuels – wood, coal, propane and natural gas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Ann Cady Jenson of Holden asks: I have several gallons of kerosene for a kerosene heater (which has never been used) that are at least four years old. The container the fuel has been stored in all this time is fine. If I need to fire up this… Read More
Many questions remain about the prospects for liquefied natural gas facilities in Washington County. Some of them may be answered this week when officials from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Coast Guard come to Calais for a public information session. It will be helpful to hear… Read More
Jerry Ellis asks: How could I obtain the rack [wholesale] price of oil that is shipped to Bangor? Jamie Py, president of the Maine Oil Dealers Association, says the only ways to obtain wholesale prices are to ask wholesalers directly or pay a subscription fee… Read More
The soaring cost of gasoline and heating oil is steering Maine people back to the basics of personal energy management. Keeping pace with the march of petroleum prices has renewed interest in alternative fuels – wood, coal, propane and natural gas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Most people think of propane as the little green cans they use to fuel their camp stoves or the bulbous chrome tanks that provide heat to grill their burgers and shish-kebabs. This fall, however, as oil prices continue their meteoric rise, more and more Mainers… Read More
PERRY – Some residents who have resurrected the Perry Improvement Association have set their sights on a very ambitious project – luring storage tanks for a liquefied natural gas facility to this Washington County town. An Oklahoma developer who is pressing to locate a proposed… Read More
The soaring cost of gasoline and heating oil is steering Maine people back to the basics of personal energy management. Keeping pace with the march of petroleum prices has renewed interest in alternative fuels – wood, coal, propane and natural gas. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Bracing for an upward trend in gasoline and diesel prices, Bangor officials this spring more than doubled their budget for vehicle fuel. Then in late August, less than two months into this fiscal year, Hurricane Katrina struck, temporarily sending fuel prices over the $3 a… Read More
Editor’s Note The soaring cost of gasoline and heating oil is steering Maine people back to the basics of personal energy management. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0;… Read More
BANGOR – Jamie Py has a message for everyone who buys petroleum products in Maine. It’s not the local dealers. It’s the big oil corporations. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var… Read More