UPDATE: On January 31, 2023, the Maine PUC approved the Northern Maine transmission and wind projects. A recent study estimated that new wind projects of this scale will save Maine electricity customers $35 million per year. NRCM’s Climate & Clean Energy Director Jack Shapiro issued the following statement (you can read our original release when Read More
Climate
Climate change and global warming pollution harm Maine people, wildlife, and our environment. Among the highest rates of childhood asthma in the nation, rising seas and severe storms battering our coastal homes and towns, warming and more acidic oceans threatening fisheries, too many “bad air days,” more and more tick-borne diseases, threats to our fall foliage and winter tourism industries—these are among the many health, environmental, and economic problems climate change pollution is causing here in Maine.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine is working to reduce climate-changing pollution by making Maine more energy efficient. We work to provide clean, renewable energy and cleaner more efficient vehicles that will reduce Maine’s contribution to air pollution and climate change to ensure Maine people and wildlife have clean air to breathe.
Bill Would Jumpstart Development of Offshore Wind in Gulf of Maine
Maine labor and conservation groups today unveiled a bill that would boost the development of responsibly sited floating offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine by requiring a competitive procurement of 2.8 GW of floating offshore wind over the next 12 years, enough to power 980,000 homes with renewable energy. “I’m here because Maine is Read More
Nation’s First Floating Offshore Wind Research Array Moves Forward
NRCM news release January 19, 2023 (Augusta, ME) – The federal government today announced it would move forward reviewing plans for the nation’s first floating offshore wind research array in federal waters, located 29 miles off the coast of Maine. The decision by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management finding that there was no viable Read More
How Much Do You Know about Offshore Wind? Take the Quiz.
We’ve taken great strides building the clean energy we need to help address the climate crisis. But one area where we can still make progress is with offshore wind. We have world-class winds off our coast out in the Gulf of Maine, and if it’s developed carefully, offshore wind could help us replace dirty and Read More
A New Vision for Transportation in Southern Maine
Every five years, we get a glimpse at the newest vision for Southern Maine’s transportation future when the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System (PACTS) updates its long-range transportation plan. This year’s iteration, Connect 2045, arrives during an exciting time of major investment in transportation innovation from the state and federal level. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Read More
More Pollution-free Electric School Buses Coming to Maine
Last week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that school districts across Maine have been awarded funding from the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to purchase 34 new zero-emission electric school buses. This news comes just a year after Maine debuted its first electric school bus at Mount Desert Island High School, a bus Read More
Great Places to Dip or Dash to Participate Virtually
If you are unable to join us in person for our 2022 Polar Bear Dip & Dash on December 31st at Southern Maine Community College, we have compiled a list of great places around Maine to dip, dash, or both! Do you have places to add to the list? Send them to us at nrcm@nrcm.org.
Quiet and Proud: What Electric Vehicle Owners are Saying
If you’ve spent any time recently on Maine’s roads, you’ve likely recognized an emerging reality: the transition to electric vehicles is well under way, and more Mainers than ever are driving electric. Recognizing that there are still a lot of questions about this new technology, we decided to go straight to the thousands of Mainers Read More
New England for Offshore Wind Coalition Announces Agreement on Transmission Principles
Coalition Urges Lawmakers, Developers to Adopt Principles News release BOSTON – September 6, 2022 – The New England for Offshore Wind (@NE4OSW) coalition, in collaboration with coalition member Acadia Center, today released a set of Transmission Principles to help advance new transmission investments critically needed for offshore wind. The Transmission Principles establish a shared direction Read More
