Statement by Dylan Voorhees, NRCM Clean Energy Project Director “This override vote is great news for Maine people and our environment. Most importantly, the bill will cut energy costs significantly for homeowners and businesses, which will be good for Maine’s economy, energy security and pocketbooks. “NRCM has worked hard to pass this bill because it Read More
energy efficiency
NRCM’s Response to President Obama’s Climate Action Plan
NRCM press release Yesterday, President Obama announced a major climate change action plan that will help Maine and all Americans tackle the gravest environmental threat of our time, plus spur economic opportunities, and protect our health. We are pleased that the President has listened to the American people and shown his leadership and determination to Read More
Senate Passes Energy Bill in 28-7 Vote After Rejecting LePage-backed Amendments
by Matthew Stone, BDN staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Senate gave overwhelming support to a comprehensive energy bill Thursday, voting 28-7 in favor of a far-reaching measure aimed at expanding New England ’s natural gas infrastructure, boosting funding for energy efficiency, directly lowering businesses’ electricity costs and making it Read More
Maine Legislature Enacts Sweeping Energy Bill, Despite Veto Threat
by Patty B. Wight MPBN news story It’s being touted as an unprecedented solution to one of Maine’s most pressing problems: The House and Senate today passed a bipartisan bill aimed at cutting energy costs. The support comes in spite of an expected veto by Gov. Paul LePage, who is unhappy with two components of Read More
Omnibus Bill Represents Big Step Forward on State Energy Policy
The measure addresses transmission costs and efforts to step up efficiency and fight global warming. by Dylan Voorhees and Beth A. Nagusky Portland Press Herald op-ed You may find it surprising that we agree with Gov. LePage that Maine’s energy costs are significantly higher than they need to be. For more than a decade, Maine Read More
Bipartisan Energy Bill Would Lower Rates
Promoting natural gas and maximizing efficiency could set Maine up for its energy future. Portland Press Herald editorial Big things can start small. That was the hope Friday, when the nation’s first floating wind turbine was lowered into the Penobscot River, to be towed to a mooring off Castine. No one is expecting much, at Read More
“Historic” Energy Bill Clears Maine Legislative Committee, 12-1
By Scott Thistle, Sun Journal Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill aimed at lowering the costs of energy while dramatically changing the way Mainers consume it vaulted out of a key legislative committee on a near unanimous, 12-1 vote Friday. The vote comes after months of hearings, negotiations, compromise and downright Read More
LePage Withholding Support for Energy Bill, Wants Wind Rules Changed
by Matthew Stone Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage is withholding support for a compromise bill being worked out by the Legislature’s Energy Committee that’s aimed at expanding Maine’s natural gas infrastructure, boosting funding for energy efficiency, directly lowering businesses’ electricity costs and making it more affordable for residents to Read More
Opposition to LD 1468, An Act to Establish the High-efficiency Biomass Pellet Boiler Rebate Program and the Home Heating Conversion Fund
Senator John Cleveland, Chair Representative Barry Hobbins, Chair Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities & Technology Senator Cleveland and Representative Hobbins, While NRCM supports the use of wood pellets as a heating source to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, overriding concerns about the bill cause us to oppose it. As stated in the attached Read More
