June 2019
Soaring on Solar
The solar bill that our clean energy team has worked on for years is awaiting the governor’s signature after being approved by the House and Senate, as was the expansion of the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard. Both bills will give a boost to clean, renewable energy in Maine. Big solar businesses are already planning on expanding into Maine with news that the solar bill may soon become law and the Migis Lodge in South Casco has just installed the largest solar array for a lodge in Maine.
And in Augusta, Governor Mills signed into a law an exciting bill to expand heat pumps throughout Maine, and announced she’ll move to advance offshore wind energy. Prompted by the experience of South Portland residents, Mills also signed a bill requiring the state to alert communities to federal air quality violations.
CMP Corridor Updates
Even though they received bipartisan majority support in the Legislature bills related to the CMP corridor were stymied because they didn’t get enough votes to override the governor’s vetoes.
Meanwhile, legislators asked the Public Utilities Commission to study a proposal that many have been watching that would replace CMP and Emera with a public, consumer-owned utility.
Land Conservation
The federal government said two species of herring will not be listed as endangered, and nearly 1,000 acres of forest were conserved in Bethel thanks to support in part from the Land for Maine’s Future program, and one of the schools that received a grant from NRCM was featured in this story. If you’d like to learn more, check out this page full of blog posts from teachers and students about what they’ve done with our grants.
Local Leadership on Plastics Continues
It was a big election day for the environment in several towns, including Kennebunk, where voters overwhelmingly voted to ban balloon releases. This is in response to a campaign led by local teenager and activist Will Jones. In Bethel, voters banned single-use plastic bags, becoming the 25th municipality in the state to do so!
Busy in Augusta
A bill that would protect sustenance fishing rights of tribes in Maine headed to the governor’s desk, along with another critical clean water bill that would enhance protections for more than 400 rivers and streams.
A bill to expand the amount of electricity that comes from renewable sources was supported by a key legislative committee. It now heads to the Legislature for a vote.
Selling Solar
The push to expand solar energy in Maine is getting lots of great attention. In an editorial, the Portland Press Herald called on legislators to power up the solar industry, Olympian Seth Wescott and Senator Eloise Vitelli (D-Sagadahoc) urge legislators to raise the bar for renewable energy in Maine, elected officials from Gray and Waldoboro wrote an op-ed about why towns are scrambling for solar but need outdated barriers to be removed, and the Coalition for Community Solar Access wrote an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News in favor of a solar bill being considered by legislators,
Senator Susan Collins joined colleagues in filing legislation that would offer grants for offshore wind education and job training. Senator Angus King joined other U.S. Senators in reintroducing a bill aimed at increasing renewable energy from ocean waves, tides, and currents.
CMP Corridor
The House voted on bills to protect local control for optional for-profit projects like the CMP corridor but unfortunately, as you’ll read in next week’s edition, the bills were eventually vetoed and failed to receive enough votes to override the veto.
The Bangor Daily News continues its in-depth coverage of the CMP corridor by diving into the details of the money at stake.
Wrapping Up
The Portland Press Herald takes a look at where Maine stands with offshore wind, and Inside Climate News reporter Sabrina Shankman is writing a series of stories in the first person about the fears of fumes from oil and gas tanks in South Portland.
Public meetings are being held to help frame how the Katahdin Woods and Waters Monument will be managed, and Douglas Rooks’ latest columns highlights the value of land conservation.
Ditching Plastic
On the heels of becoming the first state in the nation to ban foam food containers, Maine is poised to ban single-use plastic bags after the House and Senate gave it thumbs up. Somewhat related, a bill to ban harmful “forever chemicals” in food packaging is headed to the governor’s desk, and Governor Mills signed into law improved lead testing for Maine schools.
Bad for Maine
The Sun Journal took a look at the growing number of towns revolting against the CMP corridor. The paper also exposed conflicting and confusing job estimates CMP is putting forward. In a letter to the same newspaper Randy Lautz highlights the broad range of people opposing the project.
At the State House, more than 100 Mainers gathered to urge legislators to support Maine people, not CMP’s profits, and a bill that would have required a study of the actual climate impact of CMP transmission line’s failed to get the necessary votes in the House. Two other bills to protect local control in permitting decisions for for-profit transmission projects, like CMP’s corridor, are still being considered.
Maine Guide John Pincince has a compelling piece in the Bangor Daily News arguing why the CMP corridor project is bad for Maine.
Sparking Solar and Climate Action
The Legislature’s Energy, Utilities & Technology Committee advanced an important bill to spark solar energy development in Maine, and we’re not happy about attempts to allow trash incinerators to count as “renewable energy.” The House and Senate passed a ban on offshore oil and drilling as a response to the Trump Administration’s proposal to open up drilling off the Atlantic coast.
ICYMI, NRCM’s latest podcast dives into the details of the governor’s climate bill, which could be the most significant climate action Maine has taken in more than a decade.
Camden’s bid to use a piece of state property for a solar farm was rejected, so the town is on the search for a new location. Farther south, Portland and South Portland are joining forces to create a climate action initiative, and The Forecaster has a nice profile of graduating Scarborough High School student Ryan O’Leary whose passion is climate action and climate justice.
Land Conservation Good for Maine
The bond package proposed by Governor Mills includes funding for municipal clean energy and Land for Maine’s Future.
The Portland Press Herald sat down with Landis Hudson, executive director of Maine Rivers to ask her a few questions about why free-flowing rivers are so important, and in a Bangor Daily News op-ed veteran Douglas Rawlings highlights how increased funding for land conservation would support Maine’s veterans.
Long-awaited road signs are coming this summer to the Katahdin Woods & Waters Monument, and it turns out all those visitors to Acadia continue to bring big money into Maine, according to a new report.
May 2019
Respecting Maine’s Tribes
In one of the most significant steps forward for environmental justice in recent years, Governor Mills filed a bill to protect sustenance fishing rights for tribes in Maine. The bill is the result of months of negotiations between the State and the tribes. As Maulian Dana, tribal ambassador for the Penobscot Nation, said, “We would love to get to the point where we can healthily live off fish like our ancestors did.”
Moving Forward on Clean Energy
The Bangor Daily News has a terrific editorial supporting two critically important bills for jump-starting renewable power in Maine, especially solar energy.
Maine Beer Co. launched a new initiative to install clean energy. A new plan was unveiled to install an anaerobic digestion facility to tap manure from dairy farms for biogas, and students in Portland are studying clean energy in the classroom.
Debunking CMP Climate Claims
The bill that would require an independent study of the actual climate impact of CMP’s corridor project received initial support from the House after being overwhelmingly approved by the Senate. Because the House vote included an amendment it now heads back to the Senate for consideration.
This E&E News article featuring NRCM Staff Attorney Sue Ely presents an excellent deep dive into why we need to be skeptical of CMP’s climate claims.
Plastics are Everywhere
It was hard to miss our very own Sarah Nichols this week who appeared on both Maine Public’s The Maine Event TV show and Maine Calling radio show to speak about why it’s so important to ban single-use plastic bags. Shout out to Graves Shop and Save in Presque Isle for encouraging their customers to ditch plastic.
CMP Corridor Still a Bad Deal!
Sue Ely is quoted in this in-depth piece on Hydro-Quebec’s plans to flood the Northeast with hydro power, in particular highlighting how the company continues to refuse to provide any evidence the CMP corridor would result in reductions in global emissions.
Maine firefighters are sounding the alarm about CMP’s corridor project, saying the company failed to consider emergency response. Our very own staff scientist Nick Bennett got up early in the morning to chat with George Hale and Rick Tyler and debunk some of CMP’s misleading claims about its proposal.
Protecting Land and Resurgent Fish
Fish are returning to Maine’s rivers, and in Benton they’re celebrating this resurgence thanks to removals of some dams. A task force on toxic chemicals kick off its work this week, and the Maine Senate gave the thumbs up to expanded lead testing in drinking water at schools.
Climate Solutions
Energy efficiency is one of the most effective tools to help people save money and reduce carbon pollution. Unfortunately, Maine’s Public Utilities Commission isn’t interested, and we called them out on it. As expected because his term had expired, the PUC chair has departed his post but a replacement has yet to be nominated.
CMP Controversy Continues
In a major, in-depth piece, the Bangor Daily News details concerns raised by the Massachusetts Attorney General about CMP’s corridor project proposal, pointing out that claims about emissions reduction are not backed up in the contracts.
Despite hiring an army of lobbyists, CMP suffered several setbacks in Augusta this week. In a 30-4 vote, the Maine Senate overwhelmingly approved LD 640, a bill by Senator Browine Carson (D-Cumberland) that would require an independent assessment of the CMP corridor’s climate impact. Days later lawmakers on the Energy, Utilities & Technology Committee gave approval to a bill from Representative Seth Berry (D-Bowdoinham) that would require towns in the region to approve the project before it moved forward.
Caratunk first selectwoman Liz Caruso wrote a compelling op-ed for the Portland Press Herald on why Maine towns should have a say in optional, for-profit transmission lines like the CMP corridor. The town of Industry became the latest community to oppose the controversial project. In a bid to try and score some points, CMP announced it wouldn’t use herbicides, a move NRCM’s staff scientist Nick Bennett debunked.
Tackling Waste and Plastic Pollution
Visits to Acadia National Park just got a little more awesome with the news that all four towns on Mount Desert Island have now banned plastic shopping bags and polystyrene foam food containers. Meanwhile, Bangor adopted a ban on single-use foam containers that will go into effect one year before the new statewide ban. In Waterville, a challenge to voter status of local college students that was brought after the plastic bag ban won cost the city’s taxpayers nearly $31,000.
Businesses across the state are weighing in on the new foam ban. Most are comfortable making the switch to benefit the environment, and many have already done so. The ban is reminding some Mainers of the importance of youth activism. In an op-ed, Richard Killmer makes the case for toxic-free, safer food packaging, urging lawmakers to support a bill that’s a priority for the Environmental Priorities Coalition.
Congrats to the founder of the composting company Garbage to Garden for being recognized by the Small Business Administration of Maine as 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year. Meanwhile, cities, including Auburn, continue to struggle with a difficult recycling market but local residents remain committed to making recycling more effective and NRCM continues to push for a solution called “product stewardship.”
Boost for Clean Energy
The Portland Press Herald covered the public hearing for an important bill that would help actualize the renewable energy targets being pushed by NRCM, Governor Mills, and others. Our progress toward setting new goals for renewable energy and emissions reduction continues to grab national attention.
And a new report detailed the successes in Minnesota for one our favorite clean energy innovations, community solar farms. Speaking of solar, Waterville is moving forward on a solar project that would deliver thousands of dollars in revenue to the city, and youth in Portland held a rally last weekend calling on the city to solarize its schools.
CMP Failed to Address Alternatives
Both the Bangor Daily News and Maine Public reported on an eye-opening letter from the US EPA that called CMP’s application for its corridor project incomplete and highlights the company’s failure to examine less damaging alternatives. Meanwhile, a major energy company has officially appealed the PUC’s decision last month to grant CMP a permit for their corridor project.
It’s hard to accurately describe the depth of opposition to this project among Mainers, but this long, multi-media feature story puts a face to it by profiling the impact that CMP’s corridor project would have on people living off-the-grid in Somerset County.
Recycling Challenges
This Times Record story on Midcoast communities struggling with waste and recycling costs highlights the challenges being faced by municipalities across the state. To combat this, some towns are hiring interns during the summer to help inspect recycling to identify contamination issues, and others are working to re-educate their residents.
Plastic Pollution
News Center Maine’s Lindsey Mills recently took a look at the plastic pollution problem, featuring some potential local solutions, while the York Weekly profiled the inspiring high school students leading the campaign to ban foam in their town.
DC Corner
A big shout out to Senators King and Collins for continuing to push for a ban on offshore oil and gas drilling. Congresswoman Pingree recently held the Interior Secretary’s feet to the fire for his failure to act on climate. You can watch the full exchange on her Facebook page.
Tidbits
The New York Times climate team put together a fantastic, interactive online feature answering your questions about food and climate change. Check it out to learn more about “how to shop, cook, and eat in a warming world.”
An op-ed from the Portland Water District and Sebago Clean Waters highlights why protecting clean drinking water is so important. It includes a shout out for our new Maine Brewshed Alliance.
No Foam for ME!
Maine officially became the first state in the nation to ban foam food containers. This is a HUGE win for people, wildlife, and the environment. The news received national attention, receiving coverage by Newsweek, CNN, and the Hill. Grassroots efforts to ban foam in towns, like this campaign in York organized by high school students, helped build momentum for the statewide ban. As our motto says, Dirigo!
Of course, the plastic pollution problem is much larger than foam, which is why we’re supporting a ban on single-use plastic bags and also addressing the harm caused by abandoned balloons. After a strong editorial supporting the plastic bag ban in February, the Portland Press Herald editorialized on the climate impact of banning plastic bags, but we need to be squarely focused on the major impact plastic bags have on our land, waters, and wildlife.
Clean Water Victory
Under a bill signed into law on Earth Day by Governor Mills, septic inspections will now be required for homes along the shore of freshwater lakes, rivers, and ponds. The change, which will help protect water quality across the state, was advocated for by NRCM, lakes associations, and the Portland Water District.
Governor Mills Proposes Ambitious Climate Bill
Earlier this week Governor Mills announced the details of bipartisan climate bill that will help jump start Maine’s efforts to act on climate. Her bill complements another comprehensive proposal filed by Representative Ralph Tucker (D-Brunswick) and Senator Robert Foley (R-York), and includes a new Maine Climate Council that would lead an inclusive process for developing a new Climate Action Plan. You can hear from young farmer Ben Whalen about why we need to act in this Public News Service interview.
As NRCM CEO Lisa Pohlmann stated in our statement, we’re grateful the governor continues to speak forcefully and frequently for urgent climate action. Her leadership, and the support of the Legislature, is capturing national attention as well!
While we’re on the topic of climate change…
Curious about the climate impact of your food choices? Don’t miss this very cool New York Times interactive feature answering your questions about food and climate change. And a NYTimes food writer visited Maine for a story that encouraged people to try kelp.
One promising solution for homeowners to save money and reduce reliance on oil are heat pumps. WGME’s I-team asked the question “how well do they really work?” and found, well, they actually work great!
Get inspired by the work that the Mount Desert Island community is doing to tackle climate change from this profile in the digital magazine, Experience.
Not convinced we need to act? Check out the American Lung Association’s 2019 State of the Air report, which found air pollution got worse in some Maine communities (even though Bangor ranked first in the nation for clean air). Read this op-ed from seventh grader Anna Siegel on why it’s a moral imperative.
Charge It Up
If you’re heading to the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor any time soon, be sure to bring your electric vehicle, if you own one. Two new EV chargers were just installed there for the public to use. Creating a statewide network of chargers will help overcome a big barrier for many considering an EV. You can take a look at what this network might look like by checking out the map of alternative vehicle corridors recently approved by federal highway officials.
And Lest You Forget…
The CMP corridor is still a hot topic on everyone’s mind, especially as several bills make their way through the Legislature. Columnist Al Diamon also recently wrote about the project. Now CMP has launched an expensive TV ad campaign in a desperate attempt to try and counter the tidal wave of opposition its proposal faces. What’s become clear to me after working on this campaign for only a few months is that no amount of advertising will be able to change Mainers’ minds that this project is a bad deal for Maine.
Tidbits
The Legislature recently held a public hearing for a bill that would help protect the North Woods by enhancing planning coordination and encourage development in existing towns rather than undeveloped Unorganized Territories, addressing concerns raised by changes adopted by the Land Use Planning Commission to eliminate the adjacency rule.
Maine will now recognize Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day, an important change to honor Maine’s tribes. Our forthcoming 2020 Nature of Maine calendars will be updated with this great information—but this is an edit we can get behind!
April 2019
Urged on by their Public Works Director who called plastic bags “the biggest source of recycling contamination in our community,” the town of Biddeford became the latest Maine town to ban single-use plastic bags. That vote was a preview to a public hearing held this week on a bill to ban single-use plastic bags statewide. NRCM collaborated with retailers and grocers.
A public hearing was held for a bill that would eliminate certain harmful chemicals from food packaging. The bill is a priority for the Environmental Priorities Coalition, of which NRCM is a member. An op-ed in the Portland Press Herald breaks down the harm these chemicals can do and why we need safer alternatives.
As expected, CMP’s corridor continues to make news, and more often than not it’s not the good kind as far as CMP is concerned. Pownal became the latest town to clarify the do not support the troubled project, and while it’s not online, if you get a chance to pick up a hard copy of the Maine Sportsman check out their strongly worded editorial opposing the project, in large part due to the damage it’ll do to deer and brook trout habitat. Meanwhile, the bills pending in the Legislature that address the CMP corridor are still making their way through the process.
Federal regulators gave a final stamp of approval for removal of the Saccarappa Dam on the Presumpscot River in Westbrook. That’s great news for alewives and other migratory fish, as well as for residents because the move allows the city to extend a popular River Walk path.
As part of the Maine Brewshed® Alliance NRCM launched last month, two craft breweries— Foundation and Orono Brewing—released Earth Day IPAs that will benefit clean water activities in Maine. Proceeds will go to support Sebago Clean Waters and the Maine Brewshed® Alliance. ICYMI, in our podcast you’ll hear directly from three brewers speaking about why protecting clean water protects Maine’s great beer!
While that report might get you down, we’ll end with this spot-on editorial from the Bangor Daily News highlighting all the ways ramped up action on the state level gave us hope on Earth Day!
Once again the controversial CMP corridor project dominated the headlines of this week’s coverage, led largely by the Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) decision to give the proposal a permit. Attending the PUC meeting and watching our attorney Sue Ely run the gauntlet of five TV cameras and half a dozen print and radio reporters was a powerful reminder of how lucky we are to have advocates who aren’t afraid to stand up for what’s right, whether it’s in front of the media, in a State House hearing room, or at a public event.
The PUC decision last Thursday was covered widely by TV, radio, and newspapers but it’s just one step in many reviews that CMP has to overcome. On the same day, residents of Starks voted to oppose the power line and the Bangor Daily News ran an in-depth investigation highlighting the personal impact of CMP’s troubled billing practices.
In the opinion pages, George Smith penned a forceful piece opposing CMP’s corridor, reminding us “it would hurt the very thing that makes Maine special,” and we disagreed with the BDN editorial’s take that the Legislature shouldn’t weigh in on the project because CMP shouldn’t be allowed to circumvent local control for a for-profit power line with no benefit to reliability for customers.
Our efforts to curb the persistent plastic pollution problem paid off on Tuesday when the Senate followed the House in approving a statewide ban on foam food containers.
We all know that plastic pollution is no good for our planet, and now we’re seeing some action in Augusta to address this growing problem. A bill to ban disposable foam food containers was passed by the Maine House of Representatives and now moves onto the Senate. “In this case the information is already conclusive that polystyrene needs to be replaced,” said the bill’s sponsor Representative Stanley Zeigler.
One of the most promising advances in clean energy is the growth in community solar projects across the United States. NRCM is working to expand their viability in Maine, and this article highlights why community solar is a wonderful tool for bringing clean energy to low-income communities.
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is rushing to make a final decision on the CMP corridor proposal tomorrow but there are many other hoops the project needs to jump through.
Don’t miss this op-ed in the Portland Press Herald penned by former Nature Conservancy Maine Executive Director Mason Morfit urging lawmakers to approve an independent study of the proposed transmission line’s climate impact, saying, “It’s essential that Maine (and Massachusetts) citizens find out whether NECEC will, in fact, significantly reduce the carbon pollution that’s changing our climate.”
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) also held hearings last week on the project, which included two long nights of testimony from the public and a revelation that CMP is funding the legal fees for one of the project’s supporters (while we’re on the topic of CMP’s spending, they must be pretty nervous because they’re also spending big to hire new lobbyists). The DEP has indicated it will take until October or November to make its decision.
One of the most inspiring legislative hearings so far was the hearing for a comprehensive climate bill, which included hours of testimony from fishermen, farmers, religious organizations, youth, and many, many others. One of the most compelling voices was Ben Whalen of Bumbleroot Farm who recently wrote a letter to the editor about the role young farmers must play in climate action.
Last week, the LUPC voted to approve changes to the adjacency rule, which NRCM and many others fought. As you’ll read in this BDN story our team is still evaluating the impact that this decision will have on the North Woods.
We were honored to see that George Smith gave a shout out to NRCM and Maine breweries for launching the Maine Brewshed® Alliance. We’re already collaborating with breweries on many exciting events and activities, including a special beer release.
“It’s like a knife cutting through our community.” Yet again, the CMP corridor dominated news coverage around the state, and last week all eyes were on Farmington where residents overwhelming voted to oppose the project. It’s yet another hit for the troubled project, which is facing deep and growing opposition, especially in western Maine.
Talking about opposition, a new poll out shows how deep and widespread opposition to the CMP corridor is, with 65% of Mainers opposed. In Franklin and Somerset Counties the opposition is especially striking, with 90% and 83% opposed respectively. You can read the full poll here.
Late last Friday the staff at Maine’s Public Utilities Commission released its “examiner’s report” on the project, recommending Commissioners vote to support it. Needless to say, we were deeply disappointed in the flawed conclusions of the report.
The fight against CMP’s corridor has also reached the State House, where legislators are as opposed to the project as their constituents are. Several bills that could impact the project are being considered, and legislators from both sides of the aisle are increasingly speaking out against the project.
Writing in the Bangor Daily News, former Alna selectman Ed Pentaleri makes a clear and compelling case why legislators should pass LD 640, which would require an independent study of the climate impact of CMP’s corridor. ICYMI, CMP continues to spend big in their campaign to win support, most recently hiring new lobbyists to represent them in Augusta.
Maine’s clean water is an essential ingredient to our way of life, including the great beer that our craft breweries are producing. That’s why we joined with 13 of Maine’s top breweries to launch the Maine Brewshed® Alliance focused on helping protect the state’s waterways. In an op-ed in the Portland Press Herald, Maine Beer Company’s Dan Kleban lay outs the vision driving this new and exciting collaboration.
Two new exhibits in Maine highlight the important role art can play in helping understand and act on climate change. Maine Public gives us a tour of a collaboration between the Abbe Museum and Maritime Indigenous Artists that explores the connection between First People and the environment, while farther down the coast the Center for Maine Contemporary Art hosts a photography exhibit exploring rising water levels.
Governor Mills has signed into law the repeal of gross metering, which was passed by bipartisan majorities in the Legislature. This sets the stage for reversing the damage done by the previous administration by adopting new policies to accelerate clean, affordable renewable energy.
You can’t tackle climate change without tackling transportation emissions. Governor Mills and Efficiency Maine recently announced they will use money received from the Volkswagen settlement to fund an expansion of charging stations and a new rebate for the purchase of used or new electric vehicles. That’s good news for people considering an EV as a way to reduce their environmental footprint.
