Mainers deserve to choose the vehicle that works best for them. For some of us, that’s a truck hauling gear or navigating rough roads in remote areas. For others, it’s a sedan for a daily commute or running errands. For those that can’t afford a car, it may be a bike or a bus. Thousands Read More
Climate
Climate change and global warming pollution harm Maine people, wildlife, and our environment. Among the highest rates of childhood asthma in the nation, rising seas and severe storms battering our coastal homes and towns, warming and more acidic oceans threatening fisheries, too many “bad air days,” more and more tick-borne diseases, threats to our fall foliage and winter tourism industries—these are among the many health, environmental, and economic problems climate change pollution is causing here in Maine.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine is working to reduce climate-changing pollution by making Maine more energy efficient. We work to provide clean, renewable energy and cleaner more efficient vehicles that will reduce Maine’s contribution to air pollution and climate change to ensure Maine people and wildlife have clean air to breathe.
What You Should Know About Offshore Wind in Maine
Rather than addressing the root causes of high energy costs for Mainers (hint: it’s our over-reliance on fossil fuels), some opponents of clean energy have chosen to spread misinformation. This has led to widespread confusion without offering solutions to the energy affordability issues facing Maine families every day. One favorite target for these false Read More
New Report: Offshore Wind Would Have Lowered Electricity Prices 11% Last Winter
September 4, 2025 (Augusta, ME) – New England electricity prices would have been 11% lower last winter if contracted offshore wind projects had been operational, according to a new study by Daymark Energy Advisors. Tens of millions of dollars in lower costs would have been reflected on the electricity bills of Maine households and businesses. Read More
How Federal Transportation Funding Can Deliver More Choices for Mainers
How we design and build our transportation system has huge implications for health, equity, and the environment. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) is the largest source of federal funding to support Maine’s transportation network, but historic underinvestment has left Maine’s roads and bridges in a persistent state of disrepair and Read More
How EPA’s Proposal to Scrap Endangerment Finding Impacts Maine
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week announced that it plans to scrap its legal authority to address the threat of climate change. It’s an inexplicable move in an era of rising temperatures, escalating extreme weather, and climate-linked damage to infrastructure, communities, and human life. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is proposing to overturn the Read More
Rooftop Solar Keeps the Lights On and Costs Down During Heat Waves
June 24, 2025, was the hottest day in a record-breaking heat wave that swept New England and pushed demand on our regional power grid to near-record highs. It’s exactly during heat waves like this, when demand for electricity surges due to air conditioning, that the capacity of our electricity system is strained to its Read More
Senator Collins Must Vote No on Reconciliation Bill
June 30, 2025 (Augusta, ME) — Maine’s leading nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to protecting the environment, the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), today called on Senator Susan Collins to vote against a massive bill that seeks to kill the growing domestic clean energy industry and underfund America’s public lands—programs that are of great Read More
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 Read More
Maine Legislature Passes Bill for 100% Clean Electricity by 2040
June 18, 2025 (Augusta, ME) – The Maine House and Senate have passed a bill that aims to reduce the state’s reliance on expensive oil and gas by ensuring homes, businesses, and vehicles are powered with 100% clean, affordable electricity by 2040. When signed into law by Governor Janet Mills, LD 1868 will expand Maine’s existing Read More
