BANGOR (AP) — Gov. Paul LePage says he agrees with an assessment by Forbes Magazine that Maine has the worst business climate in the nation.
LePage told the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday that while he’s been trying for the past two years to turn Maine into a more business-friendly state, a lot more work needs to be done.
The Republican governor cited several reasons for Maine’s poor ranking — it was the third year in a row that Forbes put the state at the bottom of its list — but he singled out energy costs.
He said residents pay 24 percent above the national average for power, and energy costs for businesses are 14 percent higher than the nation as a whole.
LePage said hydroelectric power and natural gas are keys to reduce energy costs.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less