Senator Woodsome, Representative Berry, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities & Technology, my name is Dylan Voorhees and I am the Clean Energy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). Thank you for allowing us to present this testimony. NRCM supports the development of policies that increase availability of Read More
Clean Energy
Clean energy improves Maine's air quality and reduces climate-changing pollution throughout the state of Maine and the greater New England region. That’s why NRCM is a steadfast advocate for state policies and initiatives that benefit Maine’s environment.
NRCM’s climate and clean energy work is focused on where we can have the greatest impact: electric vehicles, clean and renewable energy production, and greater energy efficiency.
Our clean energy work is critical to reducing Maine’s environmental problems and adverse affects to our health. Including high asthma rates, more “bad air days,” rising sea levels due to climate change that threaten coastal communities, and threats to our fall foliage, skiing, and our vital tourism-based industry.
NRCM makes certain that Maine's elected officials and other decision-makers are kept updated about leading information related to global warming pollution, clean energy technologies, and steps Maine can take to ensure clean air for generations to come.
Largest Solar Project in Maine is Generating Power in Brunswick
A new $2.5 million solar array at Brunswick Landing will produce 1.5 megawatts by Chris Chase, Staff Writer Coastal Journal news story WOOLWICH — During the darkest days of the year, both Brunswick Landing and the Town of Woolwich just completed projects to harvest energy from the sun. A $2.5 million solar array project, constructed Read More
Solar Power Continues to Gain Ground in Central Maine
Projects are going up all over, aiming to harness electricity and, in the process, create local jobs. by Colin Ellis, Morning Sentinel Central Maine newspapers news story In early December, when light was dwindling in the late afternoon and wintry weather was taking hold, space heaters were coming out of storage and household lights were Read More
Home Improvements the Clean Energy Way
The year 2017 was one of energy upgrades for me. In the summer, Augusta Fuel Company (AFC) pulled out my crumbling oil boiler and all of its associated piping. This was a relief. The piping didn’t meet modern code, and having spent a lot of time working on issues related to in-home oil spills, I Read More
Maine Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Solar Incentives Battle
by Fred Bever Maine Public news story Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court is weighing the future of incentives for residential solar power. The court heard arguments Wednesday in a challenge to state regulators’ efforts to reduce and eventually phase out those incentives. The case for maintaining more generous incentives for solar installations was argued not by Read More
Public Utilities Commission Hears from Public on Proposed Solar Rule Change
By Brandon Doyen WABI news story HALLOWELL, Maine (WABI) – The Public Utilities Commission heard from the public in Hallowell on Tuesday on a rule the PUC proposed that would double the cost to connect solar installations to the grid. Members from the Natural Resources Council of Maine as well as businesses and homeowners that Read More
Resistance to LePage’s Solar Policies Grows in Maine
Environmental groups are pushing back on both the dismantling of net metering and increased interconnection fees on solar owners, in the courts and in public hearings. by Christian Roselund PV Magazine news story Maine Governor Paul LePage was initially elected to office with less than 40% of the vote, and was largely the beneficiary of Read More
Maine Solar Advocates Win Reprieve in Advance of Lawsuit
The Maine PUC delays the start of the law to allow time to clear up confusion, extending the current power pricing that’s an incentive for rooftop installations. by Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story HALLOWELL — Maine’s rooftop solar installers won a four-month reprieve Tuesday when the Maine Public Utilities Commission voted Read More
Maine PUC Still Doesn’t Know How to Implement Its New Net Metering Rule
Delays Implementation Until May 1, 2018 Statement by Dylan Voorhees, Clean Energy Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine “Today the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) reckoned with some of the flaws in their ill-conceived and harmful net metering rollback, deciding to delay implementation by four months. This is a small victory, considering what Maine people really Read More
