With the election of Attorney General Janet Mills, Maine has the chance to reverse the harmful LePage administration anti-environment policies and commit to a broad framework for tackling climate change.
“The rules put forth by the LePage administration are a giant step backward for solar power,” said Sean Mahoney, Executive Vice President and Director of CLF Maine. “Mainers overwhelmingly support solar and other renewable energy sources. These policies disincentivize homeowners from making the necessary investments at a time when it is more important than ever for the state encourage development in Maine’s fast-growing clean energy sector.”
“What this means for New Englanders is that there is less need than ever for new fossil fuel infrastructure (including both new natural gas pipelines and new fossil fuel power plants) as more and more lower cost renewables replace older, higher-cost fossil fuel power plants,” writes Jerry Elmer.
April 21, 2018 was an historic date for the New England power grid: It was the first time that mid-day peak energy demand from the power grid was lower than at the lowest point overnight. The reason for this historic first is the effectiveness of energy efficiency and the combined output of 130,000 small, medium,… Continue reading April 21, 2018: Renewable Energy Makes History in New England
One of Governor LePage’s first official acts was to erect a sign on the New Hampshire border of the Maine Turnpike proclaiming that Maine is “OPEN FOR BUSINESS.” Unfortunately, LePage has not lived up to that promise. His most recent veto of legislation designed to undo damage to the solar industry in Maine while enhancing… Continue reading Maine’s Legislature Fails to Move State Forward on Solar
“The House should be commended for representing the interests of Mainers who deserve a clean energy future,” said CLF attorney Emily Green. “Now our leaders must show courage and conviction in the face of a Governor who wants to sabotage Maine’s energy independence. We cannot risk the jobs and affordable energy that this bill will bring by allowing LePage to ignore the will of Mainers in favor of lining the pockets of big utilities.”
“The Senate stood up for Mainers today by supporting our right to affordable, clean energy,” said CLF attorney Emily Green. “The PUC has tried to gut solar energy across our state by charging families and businesses for the energy they generate and use at home. Today, the Maine Senate stepped away from those bad policies, moving instead towards policy that creates jobs, lowers our energy bills, and makes local clean energy available to everyone.”
At the most basic level, solar panels take light from the sun and turn it into electricity that you can use to power your stuff, from the small (your phone) to the large (your home or your business).
A country’s tax policy is about a lot more than expenses and revenues. It’s a value statement about who we are as a nation. And as both houses of Congress go through the process of reconciling their tax bills, the statement being made is disturbingly clear. This bill says we value dirty, outdated fossil fuels… Continue reading Congressional Tax Bill a Direct Attack on Environment and Economy
We all know that climate change is a big problem. From more severe storms to prolonged heat waves, climate change is here and it’s happening now. Luckily, clean energy solutions like solar panels can help both our planet and our economy. In the last five years, the amount of power generated by solar panels has… Continue reading Why We Need Solar Energy Now
