Committee supports Sen. Vitelli bill to expand Maine’s energy independence

Posted: March 21, 2022 | Energy, Utilities and Technology, Senator Vitelli

AUGUSTA — On Thursday, the Legislature’s Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology voted in favor of a bill from Sen. Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, to further expand Maine’s use of renewable energy sources. LD 1350, “An Act To Expand Maine’s Clean Energy Economy,” received support from the committee. The sponsor’s amendment would ensure Maine continues toward its 100 percent renewable energy goals and to advance its energy independence.

Sen. Eloise Vitelli

“Investing in Maine’s energy independence is absolutely vital — for our economy, for our natural resources and for everyday people. By supporting new clean energy projects, we’re creating good-paying jobs right here in our state while breaking away from international corporations that are currently driving up our energy prices,” said Sen. Vitelli. “I thank my fellow committee members for their diligent, thoughtful work on this bill.”

LD 1350, as amended by the sponsor, will build on the work the Legislature has done over the last few years to update and improve Maine’s renewable portfolio standard. A bill sponsored by Sen. Vitelli in the 129th Legislature set in statute the requirement that 80 percent of Maine’s electricity come from renewable resources by 2030, with a goal of 100 percent by 2050. As amended, LD 1350 would update the State’s renewable portfolio standard procurement law to authorize two additional competitive solicitations by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for renewable energy projects, focused solely on new projects beginning operations after June of this year. Under the sponsor’s amendment, the bill also would amend the renewable portfolio standard procurement law to require the PUC to give special consideration to selection of projects in economically depressed areas of the state, and give special consideration to proposals from farmers whose livelihoods have been impacted by PFAS contamination. That amended version of the bill also gives the PUC more authority to help control prices for ratepayers.

“Through her sponsorship of LD 1350, we applaud Senator Vitelli’s leadership on aiming to lower energy costs for consumers, cost effectively growing our clean energy economy, and supporting landowners and farmers whose lands have been drastically harmed by the discovery of PFAS,” said Jeremy Payne, Executive Director of the Maine Renewable Energy Association. “There was a time when energy policy had to be about benefiting the economy through increased investment and job creation, or protecting the environment — LD 1350 allows us to do both. Maine consumers are hurting due to higher natural gas prices, and this bill helps us address our overreliance on a fuel with damaging price volatility. And we can grow more Maine-made clean energy and put our great Maine companies, like Reed & Reed, to work.”

“These added procurements would build on the PUC’s highly successful approval of 17 Maine-based renewable energy projects in September 2020 that are expected to generate more than 535 MW of electricity, support 450 construction and 30 permanent jobs, and reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than 500,000 tons per year,” said David Costello of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, in testimony supporting the bill.

Maine Conservation Voters also testified in favor of the bill.

LD 1350 now faces votes in the Senate and House.