Comprehensive new bill to expand solar power By Emmie Theberge and Dylan Voorhees, NRCM Clean Energy staff We’re happy to report that after laying the groundwork for years, and after months of intense work by many stakeholders, we’ve helped develop a strong comprehensive solar bill with broad support! The bill (LD 1649) would give Maine a 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.
Energy Efficient Projects are Saving Maine Hospitals Millions of Dollars
by Taylor Kinzler WABI-TV news story Energy conservation in the workforce can have many benefits. Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor has seen that firsthand since implementing an environmentally sound project. “That’s how we can save money for patients because for every dollar that we spend on energy, it’s 20 dollars that we have to Read More
Hospitals Speak Out Against Energy Efficiency Cuts
News Center Maine TV news story BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Representatives from some of Eastern Maine’s hospitals say they don’t want the state legislature to take away money given to them from a regional energy efficiency program. They, along with the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) say investing that money in energy saving Read More
Energy Efficiency Projects Funded by RGGI Save Maine Hospitals a Bundle, So They Can Better Serve Their Communities
News Release Today, leaders of major hospitals In Bangor, Aroostook County, and Mid-Coast Maine joined together with a top commercial building efficiency expert and the head of Maine’s leading environmental group to focus on the financial benefits of hospital energy efficiency improvements that have been funded by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). They gathered Read More
This is Maine’s Chance for the Right Solar Power Reboot
By The BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News op-ed Maine has hit an important solar juncture: Enough homeowners have installed solar panels on their roofs and enough community solar projects are in operation that the key policy that has encouraged so many solar panels is due for major revision. The state will position itself well Read More
Group Wants MDI to Go Fossil Fuel Free Within 15 Years
By Susan Sharon MPBN news story It’s official — the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization has confirmed what other agencies including NASA have said earlier: 2015 was the hottest year on record. The global surface temperature is 1 degree Celsius above the preindustrial era, which the agency says makes voluntary commitments reached in the Paris Read More
Solar Power’s Growth Calls for New System
A compromise between solar users, regulators and utilities could head off a costly fight in Maine. By The Editorial Board Portland Press Herald editorial There’s a battle going on between big polluters and a growing solar energy industry that is being fought in state capitals across the nation. Nevada, Hawaii, Oklahoma and other states have scaled Read More
Solar Slowly Rising in Maine
by Kathryn Skelton, Staff Writer Sun Journal news story Lewiston industrial roofer IRC installed solar panels on roofs all around New England — multimillion-dollar, multi-megawatt projects — but never converted its own headquarters to solar. Until last week. Time and price were finally right. Leaders of Saint Dominic Academy in Auburn started contemplating solar power Read More
NRCM Says Energy Bill Would Cost Businesses $100M
Mainebiz news story The Natural Resources Council of Maine is opposing a bill before the Legislature that it said would effectively raise energy costs for businesses by $100 million and gut efficiency efforts. Dylan Voorhees, clean energy project director at NRCM, testified in a public hearing Thursday that Gov. Paul LePage’s bill, LD 1398, “An Read More
