Governor Mills, Efficiency Maine Announce Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan Initiative to Cut Energy Costs in Public Buildings, Save Taxpayer Dollars

Funding now obtainable from Governor’s Jobs Plan for smaller communities to cut back vitality prices and create financial savings for taxpayers

Norridgewock, MAINE – Governor Janet Mills and Effectivity Maine right this moment introduced the provision of $4 million from the Maine Jobs & Restoration Plan to assist small communities minimize vitality prices in public buildings and save taxpayer {dollars} by enhancing vitality effectivity.

This chance from Effectivity Maine for cities, cities, and Tribal lands of fewer than 5,000 residents is the newest in a collection of vitality effectivity initiatives supported by a $50 million funding from Governor Janet Mills’ Maine Jobs and Restoration Plan.

Different initiatives have focused effectivity upgrades in Maine’s hospitality sector, public faculties, and set up of Degree 2 EV chargers in rural communities, in addition to serving to extra Maine households lower your expenses with improved insulation and weatherization.

Funds for this initiative might be used totally on investments to cut back consumption of heating oil and propane by switching heating, air flow, and air-con (HVAC) programs to high-performance warmth pump programs that ship environment friendly, clear heating and air-con. Different eligible tasks will embody inside and exterior LED lighting, refrigeration upgrades, and wood-heat programs.

“Each Maine neighborhood is contemplating methods to develop into extra vitality environment friendly and fewer depending on imported fossil fuels to assist lower your expenses,” mentioned Governor Janet Mills. “With this funding from my Jobs Plan via Effectivity Maine, native leaders have a companion in my Administration to chop their vitality consumption and prices and to create financial savings for taxpayers – a win-win.” 

“We’re excited to supply this promotion with monetary help from the Maine Jobs and Restoration Plan to assist Maine’s smaller municipalities improve growing older vitality programs,” mentioned Michael Stoddard, Government Director of the Effectivity Maine Belief. “This initiative can assist budget-strapped cities ease the burden on their taxpayers, and help vitality independence and resilience whereas paving the best way to a extra sustainable clear vitality future.”

“Via Effectivity Maine and applications just like the Group Resilience Partnership, which affords grants to cities, cities and tribal governments to pursue local weather priorities, Maine communities have extra choices than ever to economize and cut back emissions via vitality effectivity and environment friendly heating options,” mentioned Hannah Pingree, Director of the Governor’s Workplace of Coverage Innovation and the Future and co-chair of the Maine Local weather Council. “This can be a win-win for communities and for taxpayers, as continued investments in effectivity will lower your expenses within the near-term, whereas defending our folks, economic system and atmosphere from the impacts of the local weather disaster for the long-term.”

“Efforts like this are having optimistic impacts in Maine communities,” mentioned Catherine Conlow, Government Director of the Maine Municipal Affiliation. “Previously few months, these investments have helped municipalities make energy-related enhancements to growing older buildings, as consequence decreasing related heating and lighting prices and rising worker morale as working environments develop into extra comfy. Cities and cities exploring vitality effectivity potentialities, in addition to a in search of a return on funding for his or her property taxpayers are inspired to discover this program.” 

Effectivity Maine introduced this funding alternative right this moment in Norridgewock, a number one instance of municipal vitality effectivity. The city’s fireplace division, airport, library, municipal storage, wastewater facility, and city workplaces all accomplished lighting tasks and decreased the city’s annual electrical energy utilization by greater than 46,000 kilowatt hours, equal to the typical annual electrical energy utilization of seven Maine properties. Norridgewock additionally put in warmth pumps in its fireplace station, airport terminal, and library, saving greater than $2,000 in heating gas prices. 

“These incentives are too good to depart on the desk,” mentioned Norridgewock City Supervisor Richard LaBelle. “Like most municipalities, we face the ever-expanding stress to maintain taxes down. We had been capable of improve our lighting and set up warmth pumps at a fraction of the price. The brand new lighting actually reworked these buildings, making them extra inviting for public guests and extra nice workspaces. And the warmth pumps enabled us to take away window air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and heaters beneath employees desks. “To me, that exhibits we’re doing what’s finest for our neighborhood by being sensible with our budgets and a clever guardian of the taxpayer greenback.”

To be eligible for these funds, communities will need to have a inhabitants fewer than 5,000 residents based mostly on 2020 Maine census knowledge. Effectivity Maine will settle for functions till August 31, 2023, or till funds are exhausted. Accepted tasks should be accomplished by February 28, 2024.

Effectivity Maine is holding three webinars on this new funding alternative to additional inform events. For extra data on the qualifying tools and different eligibility particulars, please go to Effectivity Maine’s web site. Communities with greater than 5,000 folks could qualify for different public sector incentives, which could be discovered right here.

Since 2019, greater than 80,000 new high-efficiency warmth pumps have been put in throughout Maine to handle the state’s nation-leading dependency on heating oil and cut back dangerous carbon emissions. The state’s local weather plan, Maine Received’t Wait, has focused putting in 100,000 new warmth pumps in Maine by 2025.

This new program builds on actions already taken by the Mills Administration to cut back prices for Maine folks grappling with elevated costs for heating gas and electrical energy pushed by unstable international fossil gas markets. These actions embody:

 Returning extra than half of the state’s funds surplus to Maine folks via $850 inflation aid checks;

• Opposing a 30 p.c electrical energy charge improve sought by Central Maine Energy and an analogous improve proposed by Versant Energy;  
• Securing a one-time invoice credit score of $90 for tens of 1000’s of low-income clients of Central Maine Energy and Versant;
• Offering $800 in heating price aid to almost 13,000 low-income households to assist pay for prime vitality prices;
• Offering as much as $1,400 in tax aid for eligible low- and middle-income Maine households and seniors;
• Signing into regulation LD 2010, sponsored by Senate President Troy Jackson, that can make a tiered credit score of as much as $3,000 obtainable to Maine small companies to offset will increase in the usual provide for electrical energy;

Effectivity Maine is an unbiased administrator of applications in Maine to extend vitality effectivity and cut back greenhouse gasoline emissions, primarily via providing monetary incentives on the acquisition of high-efficiency tools or serving to clients change operations to cut back vitality prices. Go to efficiencymaine.com for extra data.

The Maine Jobs & Restoration Plan is the Governor’s plan, accepted by the Legislature, to speculate practically $1 billion in Federal American Rescue Plan funds to enhance the lives of Maine folks and households, assist companies, create good-paying jobs, and construct an economic system poised for future prosperity.

It attracts closely on suggestions from the Governor’s Financial Restoration Committee and the State’s 10-Yr Financial Improvement Technique, remodeling them into actual motion to enhance the lives of Maine folks and strengthen the economic system.

For extra about Maine Jobs & Restoration Plan, go to Maine.Gov/Jobsplan.