Maine Climate and Energy

Securing a sustainable and affordable energy supply is one of the state’s top priorities and biggest challenges. It is economically and environmentally unsustainable for Maine to continue heating 80% of homes and businesses with a finite, high-carbon, high-priced fuel that is increasingly in demand around the globe.

Background

ENE is incorporated in Maine and regularly represents environmental concerns at the Maine Legislature and agencies such as the Public Utilities Commission, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Maine Forest Service, and also serves on numerous work groups, advisory boards and task forces related to our mission. One of ENE’s advocacy goals for Maine is to advance its energy reform platform as part of the state’s environmental and economic policy agenda, and ENE has made remarkable progress over the past few years. ENE advocated LD 1485: An Act Regarding Maine's Energy Future, which creates new administrative structure and new programs to expand efficiency programs for all fuels and customers. ENE also helped incorporate significant reforms to energy resource planning and efficiency investments into the cap and trade bill (LD 1851). These measures build on precedents set by legislation and proposals that ENE advocated in the past, including the 2006 Act to Enhance Maine’s Energy Independence and Security, the establishment of a natural gas efficiency program, and appliance efficiency standards. ENE is now working with Maine to explore other energy solutions including expanding building energy codes, biomass, and incorporating efficiency into heating energy programs.