Welcome to Lincoln, Maine!

Left to right: LP&T HR administrator Kelly Eager, Chamber Treasurer Bruce Barker, Jr., Chamber Director Merri-Lee West, Chamber President Cheryl Russell, Chamber Executive Director Traci Gauthier, Assessor Ruth Birtz, Town Manager William Reed, Airport Manager/Public Works Director David Lloyd, James Vose.

July 24 - Lincoln is one of only two towns north of Augusta to be certified by the State of Maine as a business friendly community. Signs announcing this honor are being placed, with the first one on West Broadway near the Lincoln Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce office. Today Chamber and Town officials gathered to dedicate this sign. We're proud of our town, and hope this designation will help attract more businesses to locate here.

Below is a brief video of remarks made by Lincoln Town Manager Bill Reed.

July 18 - LP&T learned today that the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) is seeking civil penalties and fines of almost $5 million. They allege in documents released today that LP&T fraudulently manipulated the energy market with its participation in a load-response program over five years ago. According to LP&T President and CEO Keith Van Scotter, these allegations are five years old and the mill has not had a conversation with FERC in almost two years. He also has stated that we "strongly dispute their findings". According to Van Scotter, FERC's proposal would ruin the mill. "We don't have that kind of money".

We will follow this development and publish updates to the situation as they become known to us.

- Lee Rand

UPDATE - We have received a Media Release from Keith Van Scotter, President and CEO of Lincoln Paper & Tissue:

"On July 17, 2012, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) issued an Order to Show Cause and Notice of Proposed Penalty.  The show-cause order alleges that Lincoln Paper and Tissue violated FERC’s manipulation rules by fraudulently overstating its normal electricity usage to maximize payments in an electricity demand response program administered by ISO-NE(New England grid operator).  These allegations are meritless and Lincoln intends to rigorously defend its actions.  FERC also issued show-cause orders to two other Maine based entities in the alleging similar matters.

In July 2007, Lincoln began to indirectly participate in ISO-NE’s “Day-Ahead Load Reduction Program, or “DALRP,” as assisted by another “enrolling participant” power supplier.  The DALRP program pays companies for reducing their electricity consumption below a “baseline” of normal usage.  Enforcement staff contends that Lincoln overstated its baseline and thus collected payments for demand response that it was not actually providing under the DALRP program over several months in 2007 and early 2008. 

For a violation to be found, FERC must prove that Lincoln intentionally committed fraud to overstate its normal electricity usage.  Lincoln had no such intent.  First, Lincoln had to calculate its baseline at a time when there was no meaningful guidance in the DALRP Rules, ISO-NE tariff, or FERC Orders regarding how to do so. 

Second, Lincoln’s baseline-setting methodology was legitimate and economically sound.  It in fact closely tracked the basic architecture of FERC’s own Order No. 745 on demand response compensation. 

Finally, Lincoln relied on and paid its “expert” enrolling participant for expertise and oversight about how to participate in the DALRP.  Lincoln’s enrolling participant, however, failed to provide any instruction or guidance regarding how to set a baseline during the baseline-setting process.  

Thus, it is unfounded to conclude that there was a “right” way to set Lincoln’s baseline, and that by departing from that “correct” approach, Lincoln engaged in fraudulent market manipulation.   Clearly, assertions of market manipulation do not make sense given Lincoln’s small size relative to the energy markets.

The show-cause order requires Lincoln to respond within thirty days with an explanation of why FERC should not impose the proposed fine.  Lincoln has several options with which to exercise due process and will work with legal counsel to choose the best. 

Lincoln Paper and Tissue is a small, privately held manufacturer of specialty paper and tissue rolls based in Lincoln, Maine.  The company employs 400 and indirectly provides employment to nearly 2000 in the region.  Lincoln was founded in 2004 and has succeeded in a very challenging environment through the hard work of an excellent group of employees and suppliers and with tremendous support from very loyal customers.  Lincoln is widely recognized for holding to the highest standards of integrity in dealings with all stakeholders and is very troubled by these meritless accusations, and therefore intends to exercise all of its legal rights to defeat them."

July 18 - Connie and I are extremely pleased to announce that sometime this afternoon we had our 7 millionth visitor to the Lincoln, Maine, area website. This is another of several milestones we've passed since the website went online 6 years ago. The companion Facebook page is the most popular of its type north of Bangor with 3,560+ "likes", and the Smartphone and iPad apps are being downloaded all over the country and the world!

We want to thank all of the local businesses who've shared our vision and support this website through their advertising. Also, we'd like to thank the many visitors who've actually made personal donations in support of this website.

We plan to continue providing the Lincoln area with a professional, informative, and interesting presence on the internet - one that the people of our area of Maine can be proud of!
THANK YOU to every one of you who have helped make www.WelcomeToLincolnMaine.com the success it is!

Lee & Connie Rand
Rand Advertising LLC