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.
Groups File Brief Challenging Maine’s New Solar Rules
The filing appeals the Public Utilities Commission’s new solar rules in the wake of a failed legislative effort to sustain incentives. Portland Press Herald news story Groups opposed to Maine’s amended solar rules have joined in a brief challenging the authority and actions of the Public Utilities Commission. The Conservation Law Foundation, ReVision Energy, Industrial Read More
Fight Over Solar Power Incentives Goes to Maine Supreme Court
by Fred Bever Maine Public news story The battle over solar power’s future in Maine is moving to the state’s Supreme Judicial Court. Last month, lawmakers who support existing incentives for residential solar power generation failed to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a plan to preserve them. That means a new rule proposed by Read More
NRCM Joins Lawsuit to Support Maine Solar Power
Joins partners in taking issue to state’s highest court News Release August 15, 2017 (PORTLAND, ME) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), along with ReVision Energy, Industrial Energy Consumer Group, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine, filed a brief today in its appeal at the Maine Supreme Court challenging the Maine Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) Read More
Activists Say Proposed EPA Cuts Threaten Maine
by Melanie Sochan The Forecaster news story SCARBOROUGH — Officials and experts spoke out against President Donald Trump’s proposed cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, saying they could hurt beaches, air quality, and tourism, and contribute to sea level rise and damage the health of Maine residents. The remarks came at a press conference Aug. Read More
Maine Aims to Use $21 Million VW Settlement to Improve Air Quality
MDOT is seeking public input on its website and plans to hold at least 2 public meetings. by Peter McGuire, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The state is taking public comment on its plan to spend $21 million to reduce harmful vehicle emissions as part of a federal legal settlement with Volkswagen over Read More
In Legislature, Solar Bill Met a More Powerful Foe: Doubt
Blindsided by a late question of constitutionality, backers see an effort to preserve incentives undone by seeds of confusion. by Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Solar advocates spent months promoting the benefits of rooftop installations, developing details on topics ranging from job growth to lower electric rates. They thought they had Read More
Maine Environmental Group Slams Trump’s Proposed EPA Budget
by Fred Bever Maine Public news story State environmental activists took to Scarborough Beach on Thursday to condemn President Donald Trump’s plan to slash the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget by 30 percent. The Natural Resources Council of Maine staged the event to highlight the direct effects that it says Trump’s proposal would have on Maine: Read More
No Day at the Beach: How Trump EPA Budget Cuts Would Harm Maine’s Coast, Public Health, and Economy
NRCM news release Scarborough, Maine – Today, at a news conference at Scarborough Beach State Park, speakers including a physician, a young asthmatic, a state legislator, and an environmental expert described the effects President Trump’s proposed budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would have on coastal tourism, the health of Maine residents, sea-level Read More
Maine Lawmakers Pull Plug on Bill to Maintain Solar Incentives
The governor’s veto is narrowly sustained amid warnings that L.D. 1504 would raise electricity prices, leaving a plan to phase out financial inducements for rooftop panels in effect. by Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The Legislature heeded warnings from Maine’s largest utility company about higher electric rates Wednesday and narrowly sustained Read More
