Adam Cote prides himself as an “energy entrepreneur attorney” working for the wind and solar industries (“Energy moves will crush thousands of jobs,” column, Jan. 29). But those industries are fighting to turn Maine into a place that supplies green energy to wealthy states south of here that do not want those towering turbines in their back yards. He says Maine should be the “Saudi Arabia of wind power.”

Maine is lagging New England in job growth by 28,000 jobs. He says 1,560 of these jobs are filled by wind and/or solar here in Maine. He got his report from the “Economic impacts of wind energy construction and operations of Maine” put out by Maine Center for Business and Economic Research of University of Maine in 2014. He should have finished the report and be fair to all, for those were only temporary construction jobs. The report also states that the ongoing employment (after construction) is one to 15 people.

His energy plan aims to reduce energy costs; fact is, wind is the most expensive source of power available to us in Maine. He wants to give Mainers control over their own energy decisions; that is controlled by the utility commission and our elected officials who oversee the commission. He wants to provide Maine with more dependable, local energy sources; it would have to be natural gas pipelines and/or hydropower from Canada, for Maine has no other affordable source. And he wants to create thousands of good-paying jobs; wind and solar are only temporary jobs, and Maine needs long-term, permanent job growth.

If Cote wants to be for governor, he should represent the people of Maine, and not the wind and solar companies.

Richard Harris

Fairfield