The filing appeals the Public Utilities Commission’s new solar rules in the wake of a failed legislative effort to sustain incentives. Portland Press Herald news story Groups opposed to Maine’s amended solar rules have joined in a brief challenging the authority and actions of the Public Utilities Commission. The Conservation Law Foundation, ReVision Energy, Industrial 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.
Fight Over Solar Power Incentives Goes to Maine Supreme Court
by Fred Bever Maine Public news story The battle over solar power’s future in Maine is moving to the state’s Supreme Judicial Court. Last month, lawmakers who support existing incentives for residential solar power generation failed to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a plan to preserve them. That means a new rule proposed by Read More
NRCM Joins Lawsuit to Support Maine Solar Power
Joins partners in taking issue to state’s highest court News Release August 15, 2017 (PORTLAND, ME) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), along with ReVision Energy, Industrial Energy Consumer Group, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine, filed a brief today in its appeal at the Maine Supreme Court challenging the Maine Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) Read More
In Legislature, Solar Bill Met a More Powerful Foe: Doubt
Blindsided by a late question of constitutionality, backers see an effort to preserve incentives undone by seeds of confusion. by Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Solar advocates spent months promoting the benefits of rooftop installations, developing details on topics ranging from job growth to lower electric rates. They thought they had Read More
Maine Lawmakers Pull Plug on Bill to Maintain Solar Incentives
The governor’s veto is narrowly sustained amid warnings that L.D. 1504 would raise electricity prices, leaving a plan to phase out financial inducements for rooftop panels in effect. by Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The Legislature heeded warnings from Maine’s largest utility company about higher electric rates Wednesday and narrowly sustained Read More
Maine Legislature Fails to Override LePage Solar Veto
Major loss for solar power, jobs, and Maine electricity customers NRCM news release Today, the Maine House of Representatives voted to sustain Governor LePage’s veto of the solar bill, despite the fact that the bill passed the House and Senate initially by more than a two-thirds super majority. Seven Republican legislators changed their position from Read More
Solar Proposal Remains the Best Path Forward for Maine
Legislators should override the veto of a bill that would benefit utilities, consumers and the solar industry. by the Portland Press Herald Editorial Board The solar energy bill that lawmakers will vote on Wednesday is the same one they passed by wide margins in June – 105-41 in the House and 29-6 in the Senate. Read More
Let Solar Energy Empower Ratepayers, Not Utility
Central Maine Power is using distorted figures to scare the public into opposing L.D. 1504. by Senator Tom Saviello, fourth-term Republican state senator from Wilton and chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee Portland Press Herald op-ed AUGUSTA — In the last few months you have heard all about my solar bill, L.D. 1504, Read More
Lawmakers Need to Override LePage Veto to Avert Disastrous Solar Rules
By Vaughan Woodruff, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed This week, legislators will decide whether to override the governor’s veto of LD 1504, an extremely modest bill that aims to remove a uniformly disliked provision of new solar rules slated to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2018. While solar policy discussions in Read More
