Today more than 500 Maine businesses have come together to send a clear message to Senator Snowe and Senator Collins that now is the time for action on federal climate and energy legislation.
They include large businesses such as Oakhurst Dairy, Hannaford Brothers, Verso Paper, and Lee Auto Malls.
They include small businesses such as McAllister Real Estate in Hallowell, Willow Pond Farm in Sabattus, and CBX Energy Engineering in Waterville.
They include ski areas, farms, construction companies, supermarkets, hotels, gift shops, and weatherization firms.
These businesses recognize the potential risks that Maine faces from climate change and from our dependence on fossil fuels. And they understand the benefits that could be realized for Maine’s economy through passage of a climate and clean energy bill.
Maine businesses represented here know that Senator Snowe and Senator Collins will play a vital role in advancing bi-partisan, comprehensive legislation on climate and clean energy. Senator Collins currently is the cosponsor of a major climate bill. Two weeks ago, she participated in a bi-partisan meeting on this topic with 14 senators at the White House. Senator Snowe also has been a leader on these issues.
As Maine businesses unify around the need for climate action, the same is happening at the national and global levels. Businesses such as Dow, Exelon, United Technologies, Nike, General Electric, Google, Constellation Energy and many, many more have signed similar letters to the U.S. Congress calling for action now.
Momentum is building. We expect to see a new bi-partisan climate and energy bill introduced in the Senate by mid-April. And when that bill is released, there are few senators in the entire U.S. Congress who will be more important than ours.
Senator Snowe and Senator Collins, we appreciate your efforts on this issue so far. Now we need you to lead the way to a bipartisan climate and energy bill in 2010. Maine businesses are counting on you.
