Clean energy procurement bill voted out of committee, heads for Legislature
Photo / Peter Van Allen
A bill sponsored by state Sen. Eloise Vitelli would double the portion of Maine's electricity from renewable sources, such as solar arrays like this one at the Maine Beer Co. brewery in Freeport.
A bill that would double the portion of Maine’s electricity that comes from renewable sources received endorsement Tuesday from a Legislature committee and is now headed to the state Senate and House for further votes.
LD 1494, “An Act to Reform Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard,” would increase the required proportion of renewably sourced electricity from 40% of the power sold today to 80% by 2030, a target also supported by Gov. Janet Mills. The increase would be phased in over the next 10 years.
The Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee endorsed the bill with a bipartisan 10-1 vote.
Under the legislation, sponsored by Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, the state would also seek bids on two 20-year contracts procuring electricity from renewable sources.
“The strong bipartisan committee support for LD 1494 reinforces the urgency to accelerate the development of clean energy across Maine,” said Dylan Voorhees, clean energy director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “Clean, local, stable and affordable renewable energy is a winner for our economy and part of a brighter future for our state.”
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