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.
Retired Marine General Sees Climate Change as National Security Threat
By Susan Sharon Maine Public news story A retired Marine general and expert on national security is in Maine Thursday to discuss what he sees as one of the biggest threats to stability: climate change. General John Castellaw says there are currently 32 locations around the world where conflict, aggravated by climate change, is affecting Read More
EPA Administrator’s Reversal of Clean Car Standards Harms Health of Maine Air, People
Augusta – Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt has indicated his intent to deem America’s cleaner car standards “inappropriate,” reversing the agency’s previous determination that they should continue as planned. The standards require increasingly less-polluting cars for model years 2022-2025 and were adopted with support of automakers and after intensive analysis. “With this cleaner Read More
Massachusetts Drops NH Transmission Proposal; Top Pick Shifts to Power Line Across Maine
Statement of Dylan Voorhees, Climate and Clean Energy Project Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine “Unfortunately, after making the wise choice to reject the flawed New Hampshire Northern Pass proposal, the Massachusetts selection committee has selected a nearly identical proposal from Central Maine Power (CMP). “New Hampshire officials rejected the Northern Pass proposal because of Read More
The End of Maple Syrup? Climate Change Threatens Maine’s Iconic Maple Sugar Industry
NRCM news release Windham, Maine – Today, at a news conference at Cooper’s Maple Products, maple producers, a forest expert, a representative from Senator King’s office, and a conservationist described the effects climate change may have on maple syrup production in Maine. In advance of the 35th annual Maine Maple Sunday (coming up March 25), Read More
Southern Maine Bus Services Consider Cleaning Up Their Act with Electric Vehicles
‘The future of public transit is electric,’ says the head of ShuttleBus-Zoom, which may join Greater Portland Metro and apply for grant money to replace diesel buses with electric ones. by Penelope Overton, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Greater Portland Metro and ShuttleBus-Zoom may come together to bring the first electric-powered buses to Read More
Opposition to LD 1810, An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Expedited Permitting for Wind Energy Development
Senator Woodsome, Representative Dion, and members of the 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. We strongly oppose this legislation, which is one of the Read More
Whistleblower Denounces Trump’s Failure to Tackle Climate Change
by Steve Collins, Staff Writer Sun Journal news story As the climate policy chief for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Falmouth native Joel Clement had his work cut out for him. For almost seven years, his job required him to come up with ways to deal with fast-changing conditions that threaten everything from national Read More
Angus King Challenges Interior Secretary on Offshore Drilling
By Mal Leary Maine Public news story Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine questioned Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Tuesday on a proposal to open most of the coastal areas of the United States to exploratory drilling for gas and oil. King used a hearing on the Interior Department budget to press Zinke to Read More
Groups Oppose Exploratory Drilling Off Maine Coast
By Mal Leary Maine Public news story The Department of the Interior is proposing to open nearly all of the nation’s coastline to exploratory drilling for oil and gas. The feds held an open house in Augusta Wednesday to collect public comment, which was largely in firm opposition. President Trump was making good on a Read More
