Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) on Tuesday claimed that a motor spins the blades of a wind turbine located on the campus of the University of Maine at Presque Isle to give people the impression that it is generating electricity even on days when it isn’t gusty.
“Now, to add insult to injury, The University of Maine, Presque Isle – anybody here been up there to see that damn windmill in the back yard? Guess what, if it’s not blowing wind outside and they have somebody visiting the campus, they have a little electric motor that turns the blades. I’m serious,” LePage said during a speech before the Skowhegan, Me. Chamber of Commerce. “They have an electric motor so that they can show people wind power works. Unbelievable. And that’s the government that you have here in the state of Maine.”
Asked by the Bangor Daily News if LePage’s conspiracy theory was true, a spokesperson for the university laughed before making clear that the turbine will not spin in the absence of wind. Listen to LePage’s remarks here, via the Bangor Daily News.
