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.
Maine Poised to Accelerate Climate Action and Clean Energy Development
NRCM news release (Pittsfield, ME) – Standing in front of a solar array installed by one of Maine’s largest contractors, Governor Janet Mills today signed into law three major renewable energy and climate action bills aimed at reducing reliance on polluting fossil fuels and creating new jobs by accelerating the development of clean energy. The Read More
Maine Poised for Big Boost in Clean Energy
Broad Coalition of Businesses, Towns, and Advocates Praise Progress News release Natural Resources Council of Maine | Coastal Enterprises, Inc. | ReVision Energy | Insource Renewables | Borrego Solar | SunRaise Investments | City of Belfast | Waldoboro Energy Committee | Coalition for Community Solar Access | Heliotropic Technologies | Maine Conservation Voters | Maine Read More
U.S. EPA Chooses Dirty Air Over Human Health
NRCM news release The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today took the final step of replacing the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) with an alternative that will increase levels of harmful air pollution nationwide, endangering human health and increasing premature deaths. Most at risk from this rollback will be children, seniors, and those with Read More
Maine Legislature Passes Bill to Reboot Solar Energy
NRCM news release June 17, 2019 (Augusta, ME) – The Maine Legislature today gave initial approval to a bipartisan solar energy bill (LD 1711) that will deliver a comprehensive reboot to Maine’s solar policies and reduce barriers that are preventing more Mainers from accessing clean, affordable solar power. This morning, the Maine Senate voted 32-2 Read More
NRCM Testimony in Support of the Nomination of Phillip Bartlett, III for Public Utilities Commission
Senator Lawrence, Representative Berry and other members of the Energy, Utilities and Technology (EUT) Committee, my name is Dylan Voorhees and I am the Clean Energy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). We testify in strong support of the nomination of Mr. Bartlett for the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and believe Read More
Key Bill to Jump-start Solar Energy in Maine Approved by Committee
Augusta, ME (May 30, 2019) – A bipartisan bill aimed at sparking the development of solar energy in Maine received approval from the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities & Technology Committee (EUT) late last night. LD 1711, sponsored by Senator Dana Dow (R-Lincoln), would stimulate solar energy across the state by breaking down outdated barriers to investment Read More
NRCM Testimony in Support of LD 1679, the Governor’s Climate Bill
Senator Brownie Carson, Chair Representative Ralph Tucker, Chair Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources My name is Lisa Pohlmann, CEO of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. NRCM strongly supports LD 1679 because it is the right vehicle to jump-start Maine’s efforts to tackle climate change in ways that will benefit Maine people, Read More
Bipartisan Bill Would Accelerate Investment in Solar Energy Across Maine
News release May 16, 2019 (Augusta, ME) – For the last five years Maine has ranked last in New England for solar energy generation and number of solar jobs per capita. A new bipartisan bill that received a public hearing today aims to reverse that trend by accelerating the development of more than 400 megawatts Read More
NRCM Testimony in Support of LD 1646, An Act To Restore Local Ownership and Control of Maine’s Power Delivery System
Senator Mark Lawrence, Chair Representative Seth Berry, Chair Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities & Technology My name is Sue Ely and I am the Clean Energy Policy Advocate & Staff Attorney for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). Thank you for the opportunity to testify in general support for this legislation. I Read More
