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Maine Energy Reform

Securing a sustainable and affordable energy supply for Maine’s homes and buildings is one of the state’s top priorities and biggest challenges. Especially when traditional fossil fuel supplies are exceptionally strained and expensive, as they are now, it is clear that there is an urgent need to improve the way the state purchases and uses energy.

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...
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Maine Energy Reform

Maine is pursuing many opportunities to expand conservation and other clean or demand-side resources as part of the near- and long-term solutions to the energy crunch.

 

This winter, ENE and other members of the governor’s Pre-Emergency Energy Task Force are exploring the possible role of conservation programs in to addressing crisis of meeting citizens’ energy needs.

 

The state is also including broader energy procurement reforms in its policy agenda. Environmental advocates, including ENE, collaborated with energy and environmental regulators, and Maine’s leading industrial groups to include new mandates and funding for efficiency investments in LD 1851, An Act to Establish the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Act of 2007.

 
In addition to establishing RGGI rules, the new law:
  • establishes the Energy and Carbon Savings Trust Fund
  • establishes the Maine Energy Conservation Board
  • removes the old restrictions that gave Maine the lowest energy efficiency investment level in the region
  • builds on existing statutes that authorize the PUC to treat efficiency on a level playing field with electric generation when purchasing long-term energy supply

ENE will participate in the implementation of these measures as an appointed representative of environmental interests on the Maine Energy Conservation Board. (See What's New)

 

Maine recently took another important step to reducing energy demand by updating its building codes. The legislature passed LD 2257, which sets energy efficiency standards for all residential construction, establishes real enforcement of the codes, and institutes novel approaches to raise consumer awareness of building energy performance.

 
Another priority is ensuring that new renewable energy projects in Maine and Canada can get to market in a way that increases renewable capacity and is also consistent with environmental objectives.