Clean air is essential for healthy, happy lives. Clean, renewable energy helps ensure clean air. NRCM works for policies and initiatives that will improve Maine's air quality and reduce global warming pollution throughout the state and region.
NRCM’s climate and clean energy work is focused on where we can have the greatest impact: cleaner cars and trucks, clean and renewable energy production, and greater energy efficiency.
Our work in these key areas is critical to reducing health and environmental problems already plaguing our state. These include 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 decision-makers are kept up to date about information related to climate change pollution, clean energy technologies, and steps Maine can take to ensure clean air.
Legislature Rolls Back Maine’s Statewide Building Code Despite Strong Opposition from Building Trades, Businesses, and Others
News Release The House voted today (76-71) to give final passage to a bill, LD 1416, that would exempt more than 400 cities and towns, with 40% of Maine’s population, from the Maine Uniform Building & Energy Code. The code provides consumer protection, increases energy efficiency and reduces heating oil costs for Maine people by Read More
Maine Businesses Speak Out on Urgent Need for Energy Efficiency
NRCM News Release Today, at a State House news conference, a diverse group of Maine business leaders touted the role energy efficiency plays in reducing their costs and improving the health and competitiveness of their businesses. These leaders released a letter signed by nearly 250 Maine businesses, urging Maine lawmakers to “make energy efficiency a priority Read More
Maine Businesses for Energy Efficiency News Conference
Statement by Dylan Voorhees, NRCM Clean Energy Project Director Maine spends roughly $7 billion on energy every year – mostly for oil, gas and electricity. It is hard to be a lot more precise because, as we know from the last few years, energy prices can double in a matter of months, making energy expenses Read More
Support of LD 1253, An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the Enforcement of Statewide Uniform Building Codes
by Dylan Voorhees, NRCM Clean Energy Director Senator Rector and Representative Prescott, Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony today regarding Maine’s Uniform Building & Energy Code. We support the proposed legislation and believe it is the appropriate kind of approach to making adjustments that improve implementation of Maine’s code. Should the committee identify Read More
Maine Voters Oppose Environmental Rollbacks
New Poll Shows Strong Support for Environmental Laws NRCM news release A poll conducted two weeks ago by Portland-based Critical Insights shows that Maine voters overwhelming oppose specific environmental rollback proposals now before the Maine Legislature, including efforts to weaken shoreland zoning, the bottle bill, and Maine’s energy building code. The survey finds that Maine voters Read More
New EPA Rules Would Clean Up Toxic Pollution from Power Plants
NRCM, others, brought lawsuit seeking these rules Today EPA announced requirements to reduce toxic air emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants, which emit 50% of the mercury, 50% of the acid gases, and 25% of the heavy metals released into the air by industry in the U.S. today. This industry also emits dioxins and Read More
The Joys of a Maine Winter!
These cold January days have not deterred me from enjoying Maine’s outdoors. Those of us who love to fish in Maine can’t stay idle waiting for spring to wet our fly lines. Instead, we bundle up and explore Maine’s lakes and rivers—through the ice. Last weekend, I finally got a chance to get out on Read More
40th Anniversary of the Clean Air Act: Statement by NRCM
Statement by Emmie Theberge, NRCM Clean Energy Project Outreach Coordinator My name is Emmie Theberge, and I am the Clean Energy Outreach Coordinator for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Thank you for coming here today to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act has been a tremendous success Read More
Moving Away From Coal and Toward Solar and Wind
Although the coal, oil, and utility lobby spent $500 million over the past two years to defeat comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation, the shift to clean energy is underway and inevitable. Two big developments toward clean energy are worth noting. The New York Times reports that there is a growing movement in the Navajo Read More
