The Energy Crisis & Freeport, Maine–A Time for Big Thinking
Wasilla has been an epiphany for me. 
On quite a few measures, the now famous Alaskan town and Freeport, Maine are remarkably alike. Wasilla’s population of 9,780 just passed Freeport’s 8,192 (2007 numbers). Municipal budgets, taking into account they don’t pay for schools, are darn close. Median household income in Wasilla is $53,792 to Freeport’s $52,023. Both towns have produced female Presidents of their respective State Senates. Perhaps we’ll look back someday and say both were the hometowns of their state’s first female Governors. (What do you say, Beth?) (Data sources from Wikipedia for Wasilla here and Freeport here.)
But there are differences too, and I’m not just talking about sprawl, meth and their backstabbing political culture.
Wasilla isn’t bigger than Freeport. They just think bigger. They’re unafraid of hiring lobbyists to go to Washington to get earmarks ($27 million worth from 96 to 02), making them the highest per capita recipients of federal dollars in the nation. When it comes to massive federally funded transportation projects, their ambitions, shall we say, aren’t small.
All of which has got me thinking: why not us? (Don’t worry, I’m not going to suggest we connect Wolfe’s Neck and Winslow Park by bridge, though that would at least be a bridge to somewhere.)
I wonder whether we in Freeport get trapped in a mindset of small town Maine, confined by our state’s stifling local funding model and reduced to incremental ideas like shutting Town Hall on Fridays to save $3000 per year.
OK, so maybe this isn’t exactly primetime for lining up at the federal earmarks trough. But there are still lots of opportunities for bigger thinking for Freeport that can advance our town, help our economy and benefit our people. Here’s just one.
Rising energy costs are very likely to be the greatest financial challenge we’ll face as a town this winter and probably forevermore. We’re holding workshops and reaching out to our neighbors–all good, important, laudable work, but not game changing. Meanwhile, around the country, innovative communities are profoundly impacting the energy crisis by using the power of the municipality to make alternative sources of energy more accessible to their citizens.
The simple but brilliant concept is to use the property tax as the source of long term financing for energy efficiency and solar projects. These programs–Annapolis, MD’s EZ (Energy Zone) Program, Berkeley, CA’s Sustainable Resources Energy Financing Project and the City of Palm Desert, CA’s Energy Independence Program authorize the municipality to pay the up-front costs for energy efficiency improvements and installation of solar energy systems. Property owners then repay the cost of these installations, which can be as much as $30,000, over 20 years through a special fee on their property tax bill. The Berkeley program applies to both residential and commercial properties.
It’s genius. The property owner gets total choice about whether the value is worth the tax increase. The additional fee remains tied to the property, the value of which has been permanently increased by energy independence. Freeport, in time, becomes one of the most energy efficient communities in Maine, which is a great thing for overall values in town. Just imagine the high wage job creation for all the projects this would generate, from solar electric and water installations to more basic (but equally valuable) insulation and house tightening improvements.
What do you say? Doesn’t this seem like the kind of initiative where Freeport could lead Maine?
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Comments
Rob,
Thanks for pointing out the job creation side of the new energy opportunity. I was recently told by one of the state’s leading energy auditors that an energy retrofit project on a typical Maine home can range from $5,000 to $45,000. With an innovative financing mechanism like Berkeley/Annapolis programs, these projects pay for themselves almost immediately. The job creation and economic impact of energy efficiency projects on just a fraction of Freeport’s 3200+ homes would be dramatic.
As you point out, there is much to be done to prepare our workforce for this new opportunity. Thanks to Opportunity Maine for being at the forefront.
PT
Thanks for this post, Peter. The state of California recently authorized cities and towns to create this kind of program through the TIF framework, and I’d read about the Berkeley example a few weeks ago. I’d been meaning to blog about it as well.
I did forward the article and the concept on to Rep. Jon Hinck, who seemed intrigued by it. I haven’t followed up since then, but I agree, it would be fantastic if Maine’s towns adopted similar programs. Jon had some question, though, whether it would actually be legal under the state’s existing TIF laws. If it’s not, that might be a good place for legislators to start when they get to work this (long, cold) winter…
Hi Peter -
I am a newby to your blog and I have to say you have some fantastic ideas for Freeport’s future!! I especially enjoyed the article above and the post you wrote on the commuter train. I completely agree with you on all fronts.
I am currently working towards my certificate in Ecotourism planning and management to supplement my Bachelors in Hospitality and to further my credits towards a Masters in Environmental Management. Many of our class essays are to research the town/area you live in and and describe the aspects of ecotourism that are already in play and ones that could be expanded on. I have to say that this research has really opened my mind on the possibilities of Freeport, improving our impact on the environment all the while benefitting by increases in tourism (and those tourists buying from local stores) and savings on energy. I look forward to reading more and feel free to contact me if you’re looking for help with research or the like.
Thanks again!!
Danica
The municipal initiatives Peter cites are excellent, creative examples of meeting the challenges confronting us. But these initiatives not only lower energy bills, they create good jobs, particularly for young, low-income and unemployed workers. To have similar success in Maine, we need to invest in our green-skilled workforce. New energy can be Maine’s ticket in the new economy.
Opportunity Maine is building support for a New Energy Initiative that will cut energy bills and create thousands of good jobs in Maine. In the Bath area, we are working with educators to reform vocational programs by embedding green building and renewable energy skills into the curriculum. For their training, these students will audit, weatherize and retrofit homes in the area. Upon graduation, along with a diploma, they will get a suite of nationally recognized certifications and credentials. We can build upon that foundation with apprenticeships that integrate work and education, deliver college credits, and put them more than half way to an associate’s degree.
Opportunity Maine has already demonstrated our ability to think big and change the terms of the debate. We organized nearly 600 people and collected 72,000 voters signatures to move from idea to citizen initiative to law the Opportunity Maine Program, which reimburses education debt for Maine workers who earn associate or bachelor’s degrees.
Expanding educational opportunity and upgrading the skills of our workforce is the most sustainable path to economic security. Further expanding educational opportunities in the green-skilled sector will put us on a sustainable path to energy security.