Conservation Law Foundation sues LePage over wind power moratorium
The Conservation Law Foundation filed a lawsuit in Maine’s Superior Court Tuesday seeking to block Gov. Paul LePage’s recent executive order imposing a moratorium on new wind project permits and creating a special commission to make recommendations on wind power development.
CLF’s lawsuit argues that LePage’s executive order violates the separation of powers clause of the Maine constitution.
“This executive order is a naked political attempt to impose the governor’s own anti-renewable energy philosophy on the people and businesses of Maine,” CLF Executive Vice President and Maine Director Sean Mahoney said in a statement. “It is a clear violation of a fundamental premise of government established by the Maine constitution — the separation of powers between our three branches. Not only is it illegal, but it is also bad for Maine’s economy where businesses need to have certainty in order to invest. As with other decisions of this governor concerning energy efficiency and solar power development, Mainers across the state will suffer from this outrageous effort to hamstring our economic future, and CLF will do everything in our power stop it.”
…
Find the full story here.