The Maine Climate Council has released an updated version of the state’s four-year plan concerning climate change, “Maine Won’t Wait.”
This report outlines the state’s policy goals and objectives over the next few years, giving a preview of what can expected from the state government in the near future with respect to environmental policy.
As explained in the report, the state will be pursuing policies to achieve an “accelerated goal” of having a 100 percent “clean electricity” grid by 2040.
Among the major priorities identified in the Climate Council’s report are increasing electric vehicle (EV) adoption, encouraging use of public transportation, and investing in the Maine-based offshore wind industry.
[RELATED: Biden-Harris Admin Awards $495M Taxpayer Grant to Foreign-Owned Energy Project in Maine…]
The report also lays out plans to dramatically expand the number of heat pumps installed throughout the state, bring “climate-friendly” technologies from Maine research institutes to market, and require tracking of food waste by certain facilities.
In addition to this, the report indicates an intention to increase participation in the so-called “Climate Resilience Partnership” to 80 percent by 2030.
Transportation
Although members of the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) rejected a controversial rule out of California requiring that 82 percent of new cars sold be EVs or plug-in hybrids by model year 2032, it appears the state intends to continue pursuing policies aimed at increasing EV adoption in the coming years.
[RELATED: Maine BEP Rejects Controversial EV Mandate]
Maine Won’t Wait explains that the state hopes to see 150,000 light-duty EVs on the road by 2030, as well as adding 700 publicly-funded EV charging ports by 2028, particularly in “underserved and rural communities.”
As of 2023, there were 1,113 publicly-funded ports installed throughout the state, including 840 Level 2 ports and 273 DC Fast Charge ports.
The report also specifically mentions an intention to train Maine’s first responders “to be prepared to safely handle fire involving EV batteries.”
The state also plans to “advance policies that make lower- and zero-emissions vehicles more attractive choices for consumers and improve overall vehicle efficiency, including through information on the emission and efficiency benefits of non-plug-in hybrids.”
While hybrid vehicles typically use regenerative braking to recharge the battery while a car is in use, plug-in hybrids contain a larger battery that must be charged externally and are typically more expensive up front, according to Kelley Blue Book.
By 2028, the state also intends to launch pilot projects to adopt zero-emission trucks, municipal and school buses, ferries, and boats “to demonstrate and evaluate performance, reliability, and cost savings.”
[RELATED: EPA May Pressure Maine Schools to Use Problem-Prone Electric School Buses]
Maine will also develop an incentive program zero-emissions medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, as well as “advance policy options” to increase their adoption.
With respect to public transport, the state hopes to increase ridership by 5 percent annually in order to meet or exceed pre-COVID levels by 2029.
The report goes on to detail a number of ways the state hopes to improve public transportation, such as “streamlining” how riders pay fares, allowing riders to track vehicles in real-time, improving on-time performance, and launching “innovative transit pilot projects.”
Maine’s government also plans to continue working with transit providers to transition to the use of electric and hybrid vehicles.
Separately, the state will be placing an emphasis on “expanding opportunities” for safe bicycle and pedestrian travel.
Buildings
Gov. Janet Mills (D) has placed great emphasis on increasing heat pump adoption throughout the state, and this focus is echoed in the updated Maine Won’t Wait report, where a goal of installing 175,000 more heat pumps by 2027 is established.
The Climate Council goes on to say that they hope to “ensur[e] that by 2030, 130,000 Maine homes are heated partially by heat pumps and 116,000 homes are fully heated by heat pumps.”
Figures released earlier this year showed that heating oil use among Mainers had declined by 6 percent between 2022 and 2023 as Mainers began using heat pumps in great numbers.
[RELATED: Heating Oil Use Declines 6% as Mainers Adopt Subsidized Electric Heat Pumps]
The state also hopes to weatherize 35,000 homes by 2030, including 10,000 homes belonging to low-income households.
The report further notes the intent to extend “funding and financing” for weatherization, heat pumps, and other similar technologies for homes and businesses beyond 2030.
Special attention is also given to improving energy efficiency in affordable housing, with a goal of retrofitting and construction 1,500 “energy-efficient affordable housing units” annually.
The report goes on to outlines plans for adopting new building codes that would help the state reach “net-zero carbon emissions for new construction” by 2035, with an interim goal of defining a pathway to adopting these codes by 2028.
The updated Maine Won’t Wait report also includes strategies for promoting the manufacture and use of “climate-friendly business products” and “accelerate cleaner technologies in industrial processes.”
There are a number of goals included in the plan to have the state continue “leading by example” by adopting climate-friendly technologies and requiring that greenhouse gas emissions from existing state buildings by at least 50 percent by 2034.
Energy
Maine Won’t Wait next outlines a plan for the state to make the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy at all levels.
The shift would mark a drastic change in Maine’s current energy blend, which comes from the ISO New England power grid. According to ISO New England, the non-profit that manages the grid, Maine’s power in 2023 came from the following sources: 55 percent natural gas and 23 percent came from nuclear, while just 12 percent came from what ISO New England calls renewables.
Offshore wind — which has proven to be a controversial initiative in recent months — is expected to be part of this strategy, with the state hoping to “invest in a sustainable, Maine-based offshore wind industry to position Maine as a leader in the industry.”
The Climate Council further hopes to make a number of other changes to how Maine’s energy is produced in order to reach the goal of having 80 percent of electricity delivered to Maine be renewable by 2030.
It is also explained in the report that the state hopes to “maximize” the use of federal funds for infrastructure projects related to clean energy.
The report additionally notes that Maine will study how best to “align electricity-sector greenhouse gas emissions accounting consistent with regional best practices to continue driving increased clean electricity in Maine and across the regional electricity
system.”
Economy
Under the section of the report dedicated to the intersection of energy and the economy, the Climate Council focused on a number of different issues, including technological innovation, helping businesses succeed in the “global climate and clean energy economy,” and strengthening Maine’s “climate-ready workforce.”
To support innovation in the realm of “clean technologies,” the state hopes to attract private investors and “accelerate the timeline for bringing climate-friendly technologies emerging from Maine’s research institutions to market.”
The report also recommends “cultivat[ing] inclusive new business creation in Maine’s climate, clean energy, and natural resource industries.”
The state government can be expected in the coming years to “bolster climate resilience for Maine’s outdoor recreation industry” and “seed markets for Maine-made, climate-ready products through new procurement pathways for the state, municipal governments, and other public institutions in Maine.”
The report goes on to recommend “increasing the resilience” of Maine’s “heritage industries” so that they can better withstand “climate threats.”
Maine’s state government further hopes to create 7,000 new apprenticeship opportunities by 2030 and bring more “non-traditional workers and underserved populations into quality jobs in the trades and other climate-related fields.”
Environment
Maine Won’t Wait’s 2024 update also outlines a handful of goals specifically related to environmental preservation.
Among the goals included in this section are increasing the acreage of conserved natural and working lands to at least 30 percent by 2030, raising the amount of Maine-produced food consumed in the state to 30 percent by 2030, and reducing food waste by 50 percent by 2030.
In order to increase the amount of conserved land in Maine, the state government wants to establish permanent funding for new and existing land conservation programs, as well as developing a Maine Farmland Action Plan to safeguard agricultural resources.
The state also wants to develop new incentives to increase “forest carbon storage” and continue to engage in multi-state collaborative efforts “regarding the role of forest carbon sequestration in reducing net greenhouse gas emissions.”
To bolster the amount of Maine-produced food consumed in the state, the Climate Council recommends creating a Maine Food Plan addressing how the local food system can be strengthened. It also suggests exploring ways to support “the viability of Maine farms, fisheries, aquaculture, and other food producers” through “expanded, equitable,
and ongoing access” to various resources.
Reducing food waste can expected to be accomplished by requiring certain facilities to track the amount of food they throw away and send an annual report to the state.
The state government would also explore options for “maximiz[ing] food rescue, recovery, and donation of edible food.”
Several strategies are then recommended for aiding Maine’s farming, forestry, and fishing industries “in adapting to climate change.”
Communities
The next-to-last section of the Climate Council’s report focused on municipal level strategies for improving “climate resilience” and protecting local infrastructure.
Among the many goals outlined with respect to this objective is increasing enrollment in the Community Resilience Partnership to 80 percent by 2030. The state can also be expected to expand capacities for disaster planning and management at the municipal level.
The Climate Council goes on to recommend increasing financing opportunities for “climate-ready infrastructure and adaptation projects.” The report also suggests studying the feasibility of a “Resilience Bank” by 2026.
Key to protecting the working waterfront under Maine Won’t Wait is developing a statewide plan by 2025 “to address funding and data gaps and increase protection options as well as publicly accessible infrastructure.”
Public health monitoring, education, and prevention also appears to serve a prominent roll in the Climate Council’s plan to improve municipal-level well-being, as well as aiding in the establishment of warming and cooling centers.
The Climate Council also wants the state government to “increase awareness and action on the mental health impacts of climate change.”
The report further recommends “promot[ing] and incentiviz[ing] land use strategies” so as to “avoid future transportation emissions, conserve natural and working lands, create affordable housing, and meet the state’s clean energy goals.”
Engagement
The final section of the Maine Climate Council’s report focuses on the state government’s engagement with Maine people with respect to climate-related issues.
Laid out under this heading are a large number of strategies for education and outreach to “individuals, businesses, local governments, and nonprofit organizations.”
The state can also be expected to work with organizations in order to educate Maine’s children about “climate change, the state’s climate action plan, and how to get involved and spur climate action in their communities.”
Toward the end of the report, the Maine Climate Council summarized a number of the numerical targets they hope to see the state reach over next few years and as far into the future as 2050.
In addition to tracking progress toward these goals, there are a number of other metrics to which the state government will be paying attention, including progress toward carbon neutrality, the number of EVs on the road, and the number of vehicle miles traveled by year.
A full list of all the metrics the State of Maine intends to track over the next few years can be found in the Maine Won’t Wait excerpt below.
Since 2020, the report notes that Maine has received a combined $607 million worth of state and federal grants for climate resiliency projects. It also explains that a significant portion of the nearly $1 billion in funding that Maine received from the American Rescue Plan has gone toward climate-related endeavors.
Among this financing is a $69 million climate resiliency grant received from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) earlier this year, with which the state intends to “accelerate and expand climate action” through a variety of targeted initiatives.
[RELATED: Maine Receives $69 Million “Climate Resilience Grant” from Federal Government]
“While the election of a new president and a new Congress will likely put a temporary end to the federal government’s work to fight climate change, it will not put an end to work in the states,” the report said. “As part of the powerful and bipartisan U.S. Climate Alliance, Maine will continue to work with 23 other states to advance climate action across the country, no matter who is in the White House.”
“As a 2020 Maine Climate Council report, The Cost of Doing Nothing, documented, Maine and its people face economic, ecosystem, and public health impacts if the state does not take action to prevent and prepare for climate change,” the report continued.
“Record installations of high-efficiency heat pumps, continued progress on efficiency and weatherization, and the steady increase of electric vehicle purchases and public charging stations, among other advances, directly address our state’s leading causes of greenhouse gas emissions and start us on a path to achieve the ambitious goals in the plan,” the Climate Council said.
“Maine is on track to meet its goal of using 80 percent renewable sources for our electricity by 2030, and the Mills Administration is developing a pathway to reach 100 percent clean energy by 2040,” they concluded.
Click Here to Read the Full Plan
“Climate change is real, and it is harming our lives, our health, and our economy,” Gov. Mills said in a press release following the report’s release. “In the last two years alone, Maine has experienced nine devastating natural disasters that have brought severe wind and flooding, prolonged power outages, and tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure damage.”
“This updated Climate Action Plan will build on my administration’s work to make our communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change to ensure that the Maine we love today remains the Maine that our children and grandchildren can love tomorrow,” Mills said.
Click Here to Read the Full Press Release
The release of this plan came almost immediately after a group of New England based think tanks released an extensive report detailing their findings on the costs and complication associated with the rapid pursuit of clean energy policies.
[RELATED: Green Energy’s Soaring Costs Outweigh Projected Benefits for New England — Think Tank Report]
This report argues that, in order to achieve a stable energy grid that meets the emissions goals laid out by the government, 6,600 offshore wind turbines, more than 5,600 onshore wind turbines, and over 129 million solar panels—covering more than 200 square miles—would need to be constructed at a cost of $815 billion through 2050.
The groups go on to make several policy recommendations to address the concerns raised by the report, including reconsidering state-level emissions reduction goals in the context of reliability and affordability, lifting state nuclear moratoriums, and allowing nuclear power to be counted toward states’ renewable energy goals, among others.
Disclosure: The Maine Wire is a project of the Maine Policy Institute, one of the New England think tanks that contributed to this study. No Maine Wire staff participated in the research or writing of this report.
Just another layer of goverment overreach the EPA and states is making up laws without clear delegated authority from Congress. will never be cost effective let alone climate protective. China just laughs at us
These people hate us
We’re already a poor state and this nonsense will make us go deeper into poverty
Taxes will go up, utilities will go up, insurance will go up, everything will go up because as the cost of energy increases the price of everything increases.
It couldn’t be more obvious to even the grandest of dullards. Climate change is being caused by carbon reduction in the atmosphere. If you believe the weather has changed in the last 20 years then you only have to look for what’s different and its carbon elimination. If you want weather to go back the way it was shitcan that green crap. I can’t afford anymore green projects besides doesn’t anus king have enough money yet?
The day they come for my wood stove will be the day that sensational front page news comes to Maine. . I’m guessing the national news as well . It’s going to be wild . Play all the climate games and schemes you want to in Augusta , but don’t f—k with me . I’m not ever driving “your” battery operated car , and I’m not stupid enough to buy a heat pump . Leave my wood stove alone .
Maine citizens won’t have to wait much longer for the collision between the green energy train and the reliability wrecks the state. The policies that currently represent the interests of the wind and solar developers are proposing disaster at an accelerating rate. There will be no stopping rate increases twice every year with the haphazard deals coming out of Augusta. Someday, the green energy zealots will be held accountable for ruining Maine.
The destruction of a once beautiful state continues.
The forecast is for a nearly $1 bil dollar state budget deficit, and these nitwits keeping digging
Driving through the largely empty–almost Dickensian in their ghost-like appearance– communities of Millinocket and East Millinocket, I am haunted by memories of the vibrancy of these towns in the long ago that somehow irked the environmentalists even in that vibrant long ago. The environmentalists saw the paper companies as “profit-motivated abuserss of the people’s rivers.” Now, however, the invasive steel spiders that pollute one’s visuals of the otherwise pristine Downeast coastal shore fail to disgust the environmentalists, as did the paper companies that created communities along the rivers in the haunted long ago.
I am not an environmentalist, but I was raised here, and I’m offended by the ugliness and wrongheadedness of the steel spiders that compromise my views. Perhaps if I were an environmentalist, especially one on the Maine Climate Council, these steel spiders would be invisible to me, as well as the hypocrisy they represent.
If they actually cared about the environment they would be pushing hybrid cars that charge themselves and are more effective and efficient. This is about control.
And today our bright bulb governor tells us we have no money. Well I am not giving her any. I have given her all I can give.
GE is just another China owned company, along with Motorola.
We, the people who are just trying to get by, should be standing up to these climate alarmist who are pushing this garbage, funny, not one word about how much gas/diesel/oil it takes to build all this “Green” BS! Look at the UK and all the abandoned ocean wind farms that are broke down and left to decay into the sea, yeah, it’s really green and coming soon to a city near you! If this Green junk is so good, take all government money out of it and let the private sector do all the research and building, bet it would all come to and end in just weeks, it’s about “GREEN”, government money that is!
Tons of fluffy, haute cultured ideas that sound so irresistible until one finds the cost and disruption devil in the details. Destined for failure with massive costs find a sinkhole. Think your electricity bill is high now? Just wait until the legislature stuffs a sizable portion of the $815 billion of renewable infrastructure into the CMP and Versant monthly bills! Hard to fix climate religion zealotry stupidity.
These democrats are doing the bidding of DC commie liberals… the country just said they want to drill baby drill so don’t expect federal grants for the green scam, the money for Maine’s green dream crap will come from whacking the poor residents in extra environmental fees and taxes… garbage.
There will come a time when the people of Maine will say enough and vote out the climate whacks. Tired of the “sky is falling” BS! Just hope we survive the cost!
“Clean energy” means our tax money been completely washed before globalists handle it.
Whatever the policies are, you can be certain it will cost Maine taxpayers a fortune and completely under-deliver!
But a lot of Democrats will get rich(er), and that’s all that matters to them.
Did any of those esteemed Climate Council members attend school and study science, math and physics? It doesn’t seem like it.
“ Maine Won’t Wait “ : Mills and Co. will bill the tax payers as fast as they can , and make as much money as they can , BEFORE Maine eventually wakes up and realizes what a scam a lot of this green energy stuff really is . Fantasy .
Alert : Your nearest EV charging station is only 47 miles away . Forget about commercial lobster fishing in amongst the Angus Windmills . Stop burning your nasty smelly wood stove . Pay a kings ransom plus for your monthly electric bill . Find out how poorly your heat pump actually heats . But remember the cutesy little slogan . Maine Won’t Wait . Did Bellows come up with that ?
More government over reach.
Britain paying record £1bn to switch OFF wind farms to stop power surges overwhelming the grid due to high winds
https://www.gbnews.com/news/renewable-energy-britain-paying-billion-wind-farms-power-surges-overwhelming-grid-high-winds