After following Gov. Paul LePage for several years, I would not bet the farm on his business ability.

In 2013 the Public Utilities Commission finalized an initial agreement with Statoil to develop an offshore wind power project on the Maine coast. Statoil was to invest $120 million in the project and Maine ratepayers were supposed to contribute to this effort. Maine was poised to become first in the world in offshore power. The University of Maine was working on this concept, and in their letter of support for Statoil they said, “Landing Statoil was like attracting Google or Apple to our state.”

LePage pressured the Legislature to change the rules in the bidding process, favoring someone else instead who were expected to replace this world leader. At best for the foreseeable future Maine lost our chance to have the jobs and investment that Statoil was willing to provide.

Economists said that global investment in offshore power will reach a trillion dollars. By chasing Statoil away from Maine, LePage managed to deprive Maine people of the badly needed jobs and investment dollars. When mills close he blames others, usually with an angry tirade.

Robert D. Tweedie

Westfield


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