With climate change posing the number one threat to birds and other wildlife in Maine, and the need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels as urgent as ever, Maine Audubon has cheered on the growth of local solar energy in recent years. We also recognize the potential impacts to wildlife and …
solar
Maine Audubon Releases Guide to Habitat Restoration and Native Plantings for Solar Development
Thanks in large part to incentives put in place by Governor Mills in 2019, clean, renewable solar energy is cropping up all across Maine. From fewer than 100 MW of solar energy on the ground in Maine in 2019, there are more than 525 MW installed today. Maine is on track to meet its clean energy …
The Climate Action Plan: A Full Year of Progress!
It’s been a full year since Governor Mills released the Climate Action Plan (CAP), a blueprint for meeting Maine’s ambitious climate goals authored by the Maine Climate Council. One year isn’t a very long time, especially when much of the public focus has remained on dealing with the lingering …
Announcing the Renewable Energy Siting Tool
Maine is in the midst of a new era of renewable energy development, spurred by legislation that requires 80% of Maine’s electricity come from renewable resources by 2030 and 100% by 2050. These targets are amongst the most ambitious in the country and are necessary to stave off the worst impacts …
Legislative Update: successes, but still some work to do!
Things are happening quickly in Augusta, as legislators hope to wrap up their session this week. I wanted to keep you and all of our advocacy supporters up to date on what's happening with Maine Audubon's priority legislation. Much of the progress we've made this year has been thanks to the messages …
Large-scale solar development rush must strike delicate balance
This essay was published in the Portland Press Herald as a Maine Voices opinion piece on August 11, 2020. It's an exciting time for solar energy in Maine. Tux Turkel's August 5th article in the Portland Press Herald set the stage well: Market conditions have aligned with recent legislation …
Five Years of Solar at Gilsland Farm
It is almost hard to believe that five years have passed since the solar panels were installed at Gilsland Farm but on this anniversary I thought it'd be fun to take a look at how they've performed over that time and hopefully dispel a few solar myths. One thing that has become increasingly clear …
ANDY’S NOTE: Energy Matters
We turn the clocks back this weekend, so we can't deny it any longer: winter really is coming. Last November, we had 16 inches of snow in the Portland area! With these shorter days and colder temperatures, our thoughts inevitably turn to keeping warm. But those thoughts clash with news …
Maine Audubon Testifies in Support of Net Metering for Solar Projects
Maine Audubon is excited to begin work in the Maine Legislature supporting bills that will support investments in renewable energy and reduce climate change-causing emissions. On Tuesday, January 29 2019, Maine Audubon shared testimony in support of the first of those bills: LD 91, An Act to …