May 13, 2025 (Augusta, ME) – Homeowners and businesses in Maine would miss out on valuable cost-savings and jobs in one of the state’s fastest growing sectors would slow under the U.S. House of Representative’s energy budget proposals released over the past few days.
The plans are part of a reconciliation package being debated by Congress aimed at forcing through cuts to essential services for working families to give tax breaks to billionaires and large corporations.
The cuts being proposed would slash tax credits, some of which have been in place for 20 years, that have successfully helped consumers save money through energy efficiency upgrades and rooftop solar. Several tax credits and funding programs intended to spark the development of homegrown clean energy, including offshore wind, would be scheduled to sunset years earlier than the original dates set by Congress, leaving Maine and the nation further dependent on expensive, polluting oil and gas.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine released the following statement from Climate & Clean Energy Director Jack Shapiro:
“Rolling back federal clean energy investments will keep electricity bills high for working families and stifle job growth in one of Maine’s fastest-growing sectors. Mainers from Limington to Limestone want Congress to prioritize lowering energy costs and creating new good-paying jobs by switching to reliable homegrown clean energy sources, not cutting taxes for the wealthy.
Eliminating tax credits for practical, proven solutions that have successfully helped Mainers manage their electricity bills will do nothing to address the affordability crisis facing rural America. We urge Maine’s Congressional delegation to continue their support for clean energy tax credits by rejecting any bills that eliminate these programs that have been proven to clean up our air, bring jobs and investment to local communities, and stabilize energy prices for all Mainers.”
Rolling back clean energy policies previously approved by Congress will slow the adoption of lower-cost clean energy sources, leaving expensive fossil- fuel power plants online and leading to high electricity bills. One recent study estimated repealing the Inflation Reduction Act clean energy tax credits would raise electricity rates in New England by 17%.
The past few years have seen Maine families, local businesses, and Wabanaki Nations benefit from at least $2.2 billion in direct and induced investments in clean technology thanks to federal funding provided by Congress, according to a new analysis issued earlier this year.
