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May 7, 2010

Investigation of former PUC chair sought

By The Mainebiz News Staff

A citizens' group has asked Maine's Attorney General to investigate former Public Utilities Commission Chairman Kurt Adams after revelations that he accepted a grant of "equity units" in a wind power company while still on the state's payroll.

Steve Thurston of Roxbury and Monique Aniel of Mexico, co-chairs of the Citizens Task Force on Wind Power, wrote a letter to Attorney General Janet Mills requesting the investigation, according to the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, a nonprofit news agency. The journalism nonprofit previously reported that Adams received 1.2 million units of equity while still at the commission. Adams left the commission in May 2008 to go to work as senior vice president for First Wind and said the equity units "had no value at all" and thus should not trigger state conflict of interest or improper gift laws.

A recent First Wind filing with the federal SEC for 2009 shows Adams' $1.3 million compensation included $315,000 in salary, $658,000 in stock awards, $29,000 of other compensation and $315,000 in nonequity incentives. First Wind officials said they will review its hiring of Adams in lieu of the revelations.

First Wind operates the Mars Hill wind farm in northern Maine and the two-phase Stetson Wind project in Washington County, and has proposed two farms on Rollins Mountain near Lincoln and the Aroostook County town of Oakfield.

Go to the article from the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting >>

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