Say Maine Can’t Afford to Fall Further Behind on Solar Power & Jobs News Release Hallowell, ME – A diverse group of people and organizations gathered today at the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to urge policymakers to develop and adopt a comprehensive solar policy that can move Maine out of last place in the Read More
Efficiency Maine
Efficiency Maine Board Proposes 3-Year, $209 Million Budget
By Mal Leary MPBN news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Over the three years staring July 1, the board of the Efficiency Maine Trust is proposing a budget of nearly $209 million to pay for a wide range of energy efficiency programs to save Mainers — homeowners and businesses alike — on their heating and cooling Read More
NRCM Blasts LePage Administration on Energy Efficiency Policies
By Mal Leary MPBN news story In what may be the opening skirmish in a long battle over the three-year budget for Efficiency Maine, the Natural Resources Council of Maine is accusing the LePage Administration of seeking to reduce funding for weatherization and for home heating system improvements. The LePage Administration says that is just Read More
LePage Administration Pushes to Cut Funds for Home Heating Efficiency; Even as Governor Demands More Such Funds Before Releasing LMF Bond
NRCM news release On Tuesday, Governor LePage’s top energy staffer, Patrick Woodcock, led an effort to cut $7.5 million for home weatherization and heating efficiency from the Efficiency Maine’s proposed three-year budget at the same time the governor is refusing to release voter-approved Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) funds because he claims to be concerned Read More
Officials: Low Heating Oil Prices Could Create Incentives for Energy Efficiency Projects
By A.J. Higgins MPBN news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Energy prices are dropping, but energy and environmental advocates say that doesn’t mean that homeowners and business owners should defer heating improvements. In fact, they say Mainers can use some of the money they save on oil to pay for an energy audit or install new, Read More
South Portland Eyes Major Solar Energy Expansion
By Alex Acquisto The Forecaster news story SOUTH PORTLAND — Powering city facilities with solar energy is now a tangible goal on the not-too-distant horizon. A request for proposals was sent out to bidders across the country Sept. 4 by City Manager Jim Gailey for the installation of solar photovoltaic systems for eight municipal buildings Read More
Solar Advocates See Bright Opportunity in Northern Maine
By Anthony Brino, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story Aroostook County, a region with people of modest incomes and long, cold winters, seems neither rich nor warm enough for solar energy. But northern Maine may be one of the best places on the East Coast to turn sunlight into electricity, and it can be Read More
Maine Climate, Energy, Economy Experts Voice Support for Clean Power Plan
News release Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final Clean Power Plan to combat climate change. In response, Maine experts in climate, energy, and the economy, voiced their support for the plan on a telephone briefing, and called on local, state, and national leaders to do the same. They explained why the Clean Read More
Legislature Blocked Several Measures That Would Have Hurt Progress on Climate Change
By Tom Tietenberg Kennebec Journal op-ed Several recent reports, coming from very different perspectives, have made a strong case for the world to take action to diminish the risks posed by climate change. These include the papal encyclical, which makes the moral case; a recent EPA report, which quantifies the economic case; and the report Read More
