Author: Roy Matthews

Maine’s recently defeated electric vehicle (EV) mandate tried to put the electric car before the battery.  The citizen’s petition delivered to the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) called for Maine to adopt California’s Advanced Clean Cars II regulations. This would have required 51 percent of new vehicle sales in Maine to be EVs by 2028 and 82 percent in 2032. Electric vehicles won’t be rolling off the assembly line anywhere without batteries, and those don’t come cheaply.  [RELATED: Maine BEP Rejects Controversial EV Mandate…] Fortunately, Newry, Maine hosts one of the world’s richest deposits of lithium, one of the…

Last month, Maine lawmakers killed a bill that would have stopped a regressive energy program and lowered energy costs for ratepayers across the state. As a result, Mainers can expect sky-high energy rates to continue into the warm weather season. An Act to Reduce Electricity Bills (LD 683), sponsored by Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winterport), would have ended Maine’s Net Energy Billing (NEB) system which provides participating ratepayers with dollar credits to their electricity bills when they use private or shared renewable energy sources. This means that ratepayers that aren’t in the NEB are eating the costs through higher rates…

In response to a rise in climate anxiety, particularly among young voters, politicians have made numerous “climate pledges” to transition entire networks to carbon-free energy sources. These goals are noble. Whether they are realistic remains to be seen, but Maine’s legislature has a chance to make these intentions a reality — without breaking the bank for consumers. Since Maine Gov. Janet Mills pledged to make the state carbon-neutral by 2045, consumers have seen a massive uptick in energy costs, with Mainers paying 23% more than the national average electric bill. State Rep. Reagan Paul has introduced LD 1549 in the…