The state of Maine in all it's great wisdom strikes a blow in support of oil kingdoms of the Middle East and solidly against the local citizens by instructing Tom Joyal of Kennebunk to park his electric vehicle. Although the vehicle in question is legal under state law, the Maine State Police has issued their own rules that somehow make the vehicle illegal as registered so the state says to park it. It seems that Tom's ZAP electric truck has 3 wheels and is registered as a motorcycle as are other 3 wheel vehicles but it also has a steering wheel instead of handle bars and the state police inspection manual for motorcycles states that a motorcycle has to use handle bars so the vehicle is uninspectable under state police rules even though state law makes no mention of handlebars.

I thought that Governor Baldacci and others in state government supposedly supported alternate fueled vehicles and weaning the state from imported oil but at a time like this twisted state regulations rise to the top and put the stop to any efforts to actually accomplish this goal.

Tom Joyal is caught in the middle of a bureaucracy that has too many people with too much time on their hands and who provide no benefit to the citizens of this state.

I think Tom should just bolt a set of handlebars onto the steering wheel of his ZAP so he can get an inspection and run his truck around. The we'll see who can come up with the next reason why Mainers can't get away from big oil.

Maine has the potential to become energy independent. We have large areas of wood, great wind and much hydro potential. We can power our homes and businesses with in state energy supplies, creating new businesses and jobs for our citizens and stopping the export of our wealth to foreign countries.

While I watch the political debate about offshore drilling, I am simply disappointed with both candidates and the citizenry that seems to be supporting this line of politics. Despite what anyone says, we cannot drill our way back to cheap energy, and any new domestic offshore supply will have no effect on current requirements and only very minimal effect on any future needs. This doesn't mean that the drilling shouldn't occur, only that it will have no effect on supply or pricing.

We MUST develop alternate energy sources for our future needs. Oil will certainly be an important part of our future but it cannot remain the dominant fuel of choice that it currently is.

Here in Maine, we have the ability to heat our homes with wood and electric. Wood pellets and regular firewood supplies both need to be expanded and can provide a tremendous business opportunity for many Mainers. Land use policies need to be reconsidered to preserve woodland for our energy needs. Our current zoning in many areas encourages sprawl where many large lots are cut into 5 acre or smaller parcels effectively taking it out of commercial wood harvest. Cluster development would preserve large areas of land for both wood and agriculture and also allow a central pick up spot for public transport which will be occurring in the future.

Maine has abundant potential for wind power which is only just beginning to be realized. I have recently read that the US has become the #1 country in the world for wind generation. Germany has a greater installed capacity but a higher average wind speed in the US provides a greater total output. Much of this power is located in Texas and the southwest but Maine can certainly supply our own power. The new power distribution system being proposed by CMP and others is vital to this potential being realized. Without the ability to get this power to market, the investment in generation will not occur. A wind mill must be installed where there is wind and not just where there is a power line. Many of the best wind sites in the state are in remote areas without adequate power lines. This investment must happen for Maine to become energy independent.

Hydro power in Maine has a vast potential and is always there even when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine. Many hydro projects of the past have been dismantled to provide passage for fish and simply because of old age and general decline of the dams and equipment. New sites must be developed in such a manner that the fish can be protected and the energy become available for the state.

Gasoline for our cars is one of the few areas where we cannot really provide replacement product but electric cars are on the horizon which will meet many of the needs for commuting and business use. I attended the Maine Boat and Home show in Rockland this weekend and there were a couple of electric cars from Miles Electric Vehicles which show the potential of electric cars. The two on display were a low speed car for in town use and a utility truck also low speed for in town use. Miles is currently developing a highway speed car called the Miles XS500 which will seat 4 and travel 100+ miles at up to 80 MPH. This car looks like many other basic family 4 door cars and would meet the needs of many for their daily commute. The XS500 should become available in 2009 and sell for mid 30's. There is also an electric car from Th!nk coming in 2009 which will go more than 100 miles at up to 65 MPH and sell for under 25,000.

These are exciting times in Maine and the US. People need to be proactive in changing for the future. Those who sit and wait for the change to wash over them will have the hardest time staying afloat. Plan for the future and do what you can when you can to meet it head on.

T. Boone Pickens, oilman, businessman, billionaire, has announced a plan and started a campaign to reduce our dependence on imported oil by one third and to do it in ten years. Pickens is putting his money where his mouth is and investing in wind energy as well as starting a campaign that he says will put his face and his plan on TV as much as the presidential candidates this fall.

There is a lot to like about his plan. Pickens believes that this type of development is crucial to the future of our country. He believes that it must be bipartisan and that it has to be addressed by the presidential candidates.

Pickens believes that wind power will provide the energy needed to run a great part of our country and he is investing in a huge wind energy plant to prove it. There has been a great deal of discussion and investment in wind power in Maine with support from former governor Angus King and current Governor Baldacci. Although Pickens is spending his money in Texas, Maine is positioned to generate a substantial amount of wind energy.

Visit Pickens web site at PickensPlan.com for more information.

In past posts I have slammed the auto industry pretty hard and Dodge in particular for their poor management and fuel mileage. I have a Dodge truck and really like it but at 13 MPG it has no future in a $4.50 per gallon of gas world and I believe that the future of Dodge is limited if they don't get their act together and do something to improve the mileage of their entire line of vehicles. I have also praised Ford briefly for a 34MPG Escape hybrid and expressed my opinion that 30MPG was the minimum acceptable in todays world.

Imagine my surprise to read an ad from Lee Auto Mall listing several Dodge cars that got "Up to 34 MPG". This is in and ad that lists Nissans and Toyotas with 34MPG shown and no carefully worded "Up To" before it. I read the ad a couple of times and almost felt guilty. I say almost because I'm not too sure how the "Up to" plays out.

Part of writing on this blog is that I must agree to correct incorrect comments in a timely manner. I am always ready to admit an error and in fact am frequently happy to admit that I have been wrong. If I have wronged Dodge then I want to know it and set the record straight. I would be pleased as punch for Dodge to have a line up of vehicles that get decent mileage. It would give a boost to their chances of survival in these turbulent times and that is great news for the thousands of Americans who work for Dodge and buy their products.

In a spirit of fairness, tonight I emailed Lee Auto to offer to test a Dodge car of their choice. I will be willing to drive it in the same manner that I drive my own vehicles. Since I always get better than EPA suggested mileage for my own vehicles, Dodge would get a real world best case type of test. I will then be glad to report the truth on this blog. I'm not sure what Lee and Dodge will have to say but I'll keep you posted.