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.
Why the Maine Climate Council is Key to Bold Climate Action
States are laboratories for policy innovation, and nowhere is that happening more in Maine than on clean energy and climate action. In 2019, Governor Janet Mills and bipartisan majorities of the Legislature passed new laws aimed at improving public health and strengthening the economy by reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. Read More
In Support of LD 1750, “An Act to Establish Appliance Energy and Water Standards”
Senator Carson, Representative Tucker, and other members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, my name is Dylan Voorhees and I am the Climate and Clean Energy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). NRCM strongly supports this bill as an extremely cost-effective way to lower utility bills for consumers, reduce waste and Read More
CMP Spends a Staggering $2.3M in 3 Months on Campaign to Boost Controversial Corridor
Spending comes as utility seeks rate increase that would cost Mainers $46.5 million NRCM news release Augusta, ME (January 16, 2020) A newly released campaign report filed late yesterday reveals that Central Maine Power (CMP) funneled an astounding $2.3 million to its Political Action Committee (PAC) during the last three months of 2019 in an Read More
LUPC Decision on CMP Corridor Ignores Harm Done to Maine
NRCM news release January 8, 2020 (Orono, ME) – Maine’s leading environmental advocacy group, the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), issued the following statement from Clean Energy Staff Attorney Sue Ely regarding the decision today by the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) to certify to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that Central Read More
3 Reasons Maine Needs the Transportation and Climate Initiative Now!
Right now, 12 states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are developing a regional Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI) that could help create more affordable and healthier transportation options for Mainers and lead to less pollution from cars and trucks. Today the states released a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and results of economic modeling on Read More
Mainers Call for Fairness in Army Corps Review of CMP Corridor
NRCM news release December, 5 2019 (Lewiston, ME) — People from across Maine gathered in Lewiston to express their growing concern over the proposed Central Maine Power (CMP) corridor through Western Maine and call on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a rigorous environmental review for the controversial transmission line, as was done Read More
5 Ways to Maximize Public Awareness of Your Electric Vehicle Charger
Let Folks Know about Your New Electric Vehicle Charger Installing electric vehicle chargers is a great way to help protect clean air, attract clients to your business, and provide a benefit to employees. Every year more Maine people—and visitors to Maine—are choosing to drive electric, and the choice gets easier with every publicly available charging Read More
Maine Adds Dozens of New Electric Vehicle Chargers to Growing Network
NRCM news release October 25, 2019 (Augusta, ME) — It just got easier for electric car drivers to travel throughout Maine thanks to two new high-speed charging stations opening today at the West Gardiner Service Plaza. These new “DC fast chargers” can provide hundreds of miles of range in as little as 15 minutes, just Read More
Congressman Golden Calls for a Public Hearing on the Army Corps Review of CMP Transmission Corridor
NRCM News Release October 16, 2019 (Augusta, ME)—As Central Maine Power’s (CMP) controversial transmission corridor proposal continues to face delays and growing public opposition, Congressman Jared Golden issued a strong letter of concern this morning to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The letter highlights the Army Corps’ lack of transparency in its permitting process Read More
