Testimony in Support of LD 1141, An Act to Improve Access and System Preservation by Providing Shoulders and Bicycle Lanes on State Roadways Leading to State Parks and Other Significant Destinations Senator Chipman, Representative Williams, and members of the Committee on Transportation, my name is Josh Caldwell. I am the Climate and Clean Energy Outreach Read More
Cleaner Transportation
Many people are surprised to learn that cars and trucks are the single largest source of climate-changing pollution in Maine, at roughly 55 percent. This pollution that exacerbates global warming isn’t just threatening our natural resource-based economy here in Maine, it is also impacting our air quality and the health of Maine families and children. By driving electric vehicles, Mainers are reducing air pollution that harms our environment, our health, and our natural resources-based economy. Our electricity mix here in Maine is one of the cleanest in the country, and that makes plug-in electric cars far more environmentally friendly than even the most efficient hybrid car.
LD 524, Installation of EV Charging Stations in New Parking Lot Construction
Senator Lawrence, Representative Zeigler, and members of the Joint Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology, my name is Josh Caldwell. I am the Climate & Clean Energy Outreach Coordinator at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. NRCM has been working for more than 60 years to protect, restore, and conserve Maine’s environment, on behalf of Read More
Support of LD 519, A Resolve, to Conduct a Vehicle-to-grid Pilot Project Using Electric School Buses
Senator Lawrence, Representative Zeigler, and members of the Joint Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology, my name is Rebecca Schultz. I am a Senior Advocate for Climate and Clean Energy at the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). NRCM has been working for more than 60 years to protect, restore, and conserve Maine’s environment, on Read More
More Transportation Choices for Mainers
Cars and trucks can get us to many places, but a system designed around personal vehicles comes with a host of problems. Cars are expensive to maintain, polluting, and dangerous, and the system of roads needed to support them is in constant need of repair, which puts a burden on local communities and taxpayers. We Read More
LD 256, An Act to Add Electric Bicycles to the Electric Vehicle Rebate Program
Testimony in support of LD 256, An Act to Add Electric Bicycles to the Electric Vehicle Rebate Program Senator Lawrence, Representative Zeigler, distinguished members of the Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Technology. My name is Josh Caldwell. I am the Climate and Clean Energy Outreach Coordinator at the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), and I Read More
LD 122, Establish a Program to Support the Uptake of Medium-duty and Heavy-duty Zero-emission Vehicles by Maine Businesses
Testimony in support of LD 122, An Act to Authorize the Efficiency Maine Trust to Establish a Program to Support the Uptake of Medium-duty and Heavy-duty Zero-emission Vehicles by Maine Businesses and to Establish a Medium-duty and Heavy-duty Zero-emission Vehicle-to-grid Pilot Project Senator Lawrence, Representative Zeigler, distinguished members of the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. Read More
A New Vision for Transportation in Southern Maine
Every five years, we get a glimpse at the newest vision for Southern Maine’s transportation future when the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System (PACTS) updates its long-range transportation plan. This year’s iteration, Connect 2045, arrives during an exciting time of major investment in transportation innovation from the state and federal level. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Read More
More Pollution-free Electric School Buses Coming to Maine
Last week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that school districts across Maine have been awarded funding from the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to purchase 34 new zero-emission electric school buses. This news comes just a year after Maine debuted its first electric school bus at Mount Desert Island High School, a bus Read More
Quiet and Proud: What Electric Vehicle Owners are Saying
If you’ve spent any time recently on Maine’s roads, you’ve likely recognized an emerging reality: the transition to electric vehicles is well under way, and more Mainers than ever are driving electric. Recognizing that there are still a lot of questions about this new technology, we decided to go straight to the thousands of Mainers Read More
