What could be more promising than a bill in support of solar panels in Maine? Yet the seated Senator representing Waldo County was so weak in his support of the measure that he only voted for the bill when he was sure the governor would veto it. We can’t be sure his lack of interest was because of campaign donations from out-of-state lobbyists, but the Portland Press Herald reports that he did receive a nice-sized donation from SunRun, Inc, a corporate, California-based business that was lobbying against the bill. Voters beware: when you look upon his campaign literature in the coming weeks, consider who contributed to the ink.

My husband and I drove all the way to Augusta to speak out on behalf of solar energy in April of 2015. We’re getting older and rarely leave the Belfast area, so this was a big deal for us. We are not lobbyists—we weren’t getting paid, nobody bought our gas or gave us a ride. (I had to point this out a few times to legislators who were preoccupied with buddies they seemed to know well, identified on badges as paid lobbyists.)

I read my remarks into the microphone. I said that we use solar panels at our house, that it is a remarkable source of energy which has never let us down, and that its future is bright, forgive the pun!

Jonathan Fulford might have been seated on the panel as our senator, and he would have been a strong proponent of this bill, except that in November 2014 he narrowly lost the Waldo County senate race by a mere 115 votes (we’ll get another shot at this on November 8). Despite the squeaker campaign loss, Jonathan was there, a bright and eager participant in the hearing, listening to Maine citizens and business owners talk about the exciting future of solar energy in Maine. He also stood at the microphone and spoke eloquently for the measure.

The seated Senator from Waldo County, Mike Thibodeau, was nowhere to be found. Not to be easily denied, we went to his office but he was too busy to talk with us, surrounded by men in business suits. Later, when I did catch him in the hall, he was friendly enough, but said he didn’t know much about the bill. Then, he went back to his group of friends in suits. (They do dress well in Augusta.)

There is no down side to solar energy, no dirty clouds of smoke, no excavation, no nuclear half-lives. Solar is a segment of the economy that has enormous potential for growth and we should be encouraging its development for all kinds of reasons. Due, in part, to Mike Thibodeau’s disinterest, the solar bill didn’t survive; Maine lost out, big time.

Jonathan Fulford is stepping forward to lead us into the future. Waldo County needs you to show up at the polls and vote. We can win with your help.

Jennifer Hill lives in Waldo