Senator Mark Lawrence, Chair Representative Seth Berry, Chair 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 repeal of gross metering, which is punitive, 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.
As Maine Debates 145-mile Electric Line, Energy Giant with Billions at Stake is Absent
By Josh Keefe, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story As Maine regulators are deciding whether to approve the construction of a $1 billion transmission line across much of western Maine, the Canadian hydroelectric utility poised to make billions of dollars from the project has been absent from the process. This has left both opponents Read More
Climate Change Calls for Immediate Action on the Part of Maine Officials
Eight years of denial have only made it harder to prevent catastrophic loss. Portland Press Herald editorial Back in 2010, the state Department of Environmental Protection completed a report on the kind of risks Maine faced as a result of climate change. Although it contained 60 recommendations, it was not a climate response plan. It Read More
Climate Change is a Top Priority for the New Crop of Governors — Even One Republican
“For all his bluster and tweeting, Donald Trump cannot stop us from moving forward in our states,” Washington’s governor told BuzzFeed News. by Zahra Hirji, BuzzFeed News Reporter Buzzfeed news story His first week on the job, Florida’s new Republican governor made a surprise announcement. In sharp contrast to the previous administration, Ron DeSantis signed Read More
Sea-level Rise Hurting Maine’s Waterfront Real Estate Values
A study released this week show Maine lost about $70 million in appreciated waterfront property values from 2005 to 2017. By Eric Russell and Kevin Miller, Staff Writers Portland Press Herald news story Increased tidal flooding caused by sea level rise has contributed to a loss of $70 million in the appreciation of waterfront real estate Read More
Bill to Tax Fossil Fuel Producers Among Dozens of Climate-Related Proposals Before Maine Legislature
by Steve Mistler Maine Public news story From carbon taxes to the Maine version of the Green New Deal, Democratic state lawmakers are pitching a slew of bills designed to address the threat of climate change. While Democrats have introduced climate bills before, the proposals had no real chance to become law during Republican Gov. Read More
Join the Effort to Support Renewable Energy Development
Call your lawmakers and encourage a ‘yes’ vote on L.D. 91 to make gross metering explicitly illegal. By Tobey Williamson Portland Press Herald op-ed Imagine that, on the way into the supermarket in the spring, you noticed a shiny, new scale by the door. It was rumored that the owner of the market had been Read More
Clean Energy Agenda Sees Power Surge in Augusta
With the shift in political priorities, lawmakers propose dozens of bills, including ‘a bold idea’: A Green New Deal. by Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story When she was 12, Chloe Maxmin formed a Climate Action club at her school. At Harvard, where she graduated in 2015, she co-founded a campaign calling Read More
Solar Panel Plan for Blaine House Sends a Message
The governor solicits proposals for what’s likely to be a visible affirmation of renewable energy. By Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The Mills administration is drawing up a request for proposals over the coming weeks to install solar-electric panels on the Blaine House, an action meant to signal that Maine once again Read More
