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As federal support evaporates, Maine says it's refocusing on achievable climate goals

Gov. Mills speaks about the new Maine Climate Action Plan in Bath on Thursday.
Molly Enking
/
Maine Public file
Gov. Janet Mills presents the state's climate action plan in Bath in November 2024.

The Maine Climate Council is considering ways to make progress on state goals without federal support.

Council co-chair Melanie Loyzim told councilors this month that the latest version of "Maine Won't Wait" was written before the second Trump administration stripped funding and resources for climate action.

"In some areas, including renewable energy development, federal actions are actively creating new barriers to progress," Loyzim said.

Under President Donald Trump, the federal government has rescinded funding for climate programs, failed to publish federal data on greenhouse gas emissions, halted or put barriers in front of offshore ocean wind and other energy and cut incentives for home energy-efficiency.

"Those changes are slowing progress in some areas of the plan but they are not stopping us," Loyzim said.

Maine's 2024 climate action plan was developed as President Joe Biden was pumping billions of dollars into Maine to make strides on electric vehicle adoption, emissions reductions and renewable energy.

The state's plan includes an aim of adding 150,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030, installing tens of thousands of high-efficiency electric heat pumps, weatherizing homes, achieving a 100% clean electric grid by 2040 and making communities resilient to the worst effects of a warming climate.

While acknowledging that progress toward those goals has become more challenging, Council co-chair Sarah Curran said it can still move forward by focusing on areas that overlap with other state priorities.

"We can respond to climate change while also helping people with housing issues, energy affordability and creating opportunity," Curran said.

The council is about halfway through its four-year plan and will publish a new roadmap in 2028.