I am writing to ask our community to support L.D. 1373. There are so many reasons to support the development of solar energy.

1. It’s the future of energy globally and Maine should be on the cutting edge of this technology.

2. It could become an economic driver in Maine if we can use it to support training in alternative technology at KVCC and other community colleges; we have no oil here, we have no coal, we have no natural gas, but we do have sunshine.

3. Talk about local control — what is a better form of this than citizens having more control over their energy source. No more Middle East oil, polluting coal, etc. That is truly local control.

4. The bill has built into it a fee to solar users to defray the cost of maintaining the power lines, which apparently has been a contentious point.

Support for this bill will accomplish much for our area and for the state. It will reduce our dependance on foreign oil, on polluting coal, on oil, on power sources that come from outside of Maine, and it will support the concept of true local control — citizen control over their own power source.

Would you like to see Maine on the cutting edge of a proven and growing technology? L.D. 1373 is the way to achieve this kind of economic development and local control at the same time. Please call your state senator and representative to support this bill.

Emanuel Pariser

Waterville