Sen. Reny celebrates Community Action Grants awarded to towns and Regional Planning Commission in Senate District 13

Posted: May 14, 2025 | Senator Reny

The funds awarded will support storm recovery and resilience projects that protect Maine’s cities and towns protect people, businesses and infrastructure.

AUGUSTA — Sen. Cameron Reny, D-Bristol, is happy to announce that towns and a county planning commission in Senate District 13 are recipients of Community Action Grant awards from the Community Resilience Partnership. The partnership is administered by the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future to help Maine communities reduce emissions and prepare for the effects of extreme weather events brought on by climate change.

The grant recipients and amounts are:

  • Bristol: $80,000
    • Funding to assess vulnerabilities and plan for climate resilience
  • Monhegan Plantation: $75,000
    • Funding to make resiliency improvements to Monhegan’s breakwater
  • Newcastle: $68,500
    • Funding for battery storage systems to strengthen community resilience and sustainability in Newcastle
  • Southport: $80,000
    • Funding for community-driven nature-based solutions for vulnerable coastal infrastructure at Hendricks Head
  • Waldoboro: $75,000
    • Funding for modernizations at the Town Office and Emergency Service Building
  • Westport Island: $69,840
    • Funding for energy efficiency upgrades for municipal buildings
  • Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission (Edgecomb, Whitefield): $25,000
    • Funding to enable the Planning Commission to assist Edgecomb and Whitefield to prepare for and enroll in the Community Resilience Partnership and then apply for grant funds to undertake priority climate and energy projects

“Ensuring communities are prepared for future severe weather and can remain resilient in the face of our changing climate are some of my top priorities,” said Sen. Reny. “These grants will make investments in critical infrastructure in our towns, helping strengthen our coasts, prepare for future power outages and plan for what is to come. Our coastal and inland towns need these improvements to thrive for our next generations and to avoid higher costs further down the line.”

Funding for the grants came from several sources, including measures passed by the Maine Legislature with Sen. Reny’s support:

  • The Supplemental Budget that was passed by the Legislature in 2024 to increase community resilience and preparedness in the wake of the December 2023 and January 2024 storms;
  • Funds from the biennial budget authorized by the Legislature in 2023; and
  • A federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The grants in District 13 are part of a historic $8 million in Community Resilience Partnership grant funding announced by Governor Janet Mills on May 1, 2025. This round of funding will support projects in 166 communities across Maine. For a full list of grant awardees, click here.

Sen. Reny represents Maine Senate District 13, which includes most of Lincoln County and the towns of Washington and Windsor.

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