Update: Pressure Rises in Maine to Oppose Cutbacks in Reconciliation Bill

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote soon on the reconciliation budget bill that would increase the national debt by trillions and give billionaires tax breaks while increasing costs for working families.

Pressure is ramping up on Senator Susan Collins to oppose the most drastic environmental rollbacks in the bill and join her Republican colleagues who are defending clean energy tax credits that have created jobs and helped Mainers save money on their electricity bills.

Today, the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) and partners released a letter signed by 53 organizations and leaders across Maine including environmental groups, health care providers, faith groups, construction, renewable energy, aquaculture, and outdoor businesses, municipal climate committees, and others calling on Senator Collins to protect Maine’s future by opposing cuts to basic health care, clean energy investments, and programs that support working families.

A new analysis of MIT/Rhodium Group Clean Investment Monitor data through the first quarter of 2025 show the enormous benefits of federal clean energy policies for Maine.  This builds on a previous report NRCM issued in February.

• Federal clean energy investments have now supported $2.96 billion in direct and induced public and private investments in Maine, an increase of nearly $750 million in just the most recent two quarters for which data is available.
• These include direct federal investments in clean technologies in Maine, including clean electricity tax credits, home energy and home energy efficiency tax credits, zero-emission vehicle tax credits, and grant programs totaling $628 million, $133.9 million more than the first time this report was published in February.

When private investment is included, since the passage of the IRA in Q3 of 2022:

• Business and household investments in Maine, including distributed and rooftop solar installations, energy storage, heat pumps, and electric vehicles supported by clean energy-friendly tax credits since the passage of the IRA totaled $1.72 billion, an increase of nearly $350 million since February.
• Clean energy investments in Maine, including larger-scale solar, wind, and energy storage, totaled $1.24 billion, an increase of more than $400 million since February.

Yesterday’s extreme heat and corresponding sky-high electricity demand on the grid illustrates the importance of clean energy tax credits which bring new renewable energy sources online.

• Peaking events like happened yesterday, when expensive fossil fuel generation is brought online, drive high electricity prices for Maine.
• Renewable energy displaces those expensive power plants, which is why multiple studies have shown that repealing clean energy tax credits will increase power bills for Maine households and businesses.

To learn more about why the reconciliation bill is bad for Maine’s environment read our recent blog: https://www.nrcm.org/blog/reconciliation-bill-harmful-to-maine/