Legislature passes bill for 100% clean electricity by 2040

A car sits on a green mat near solar panels.

FILE PHOTO / COURTESY CENTER FOR AN ECOLOGY-BASED ECONOMY The Center for an Ecology-Based Economy, a nonprofit in the Oxford County town of Norway, is working on clean-energy programs such as an EV charging network with Level 2 chargers and solar panels.

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By Laurie Schreiber

The Maine House and Senate passed a bill that aims to ensure homes, businesses, and vehicles are powered with 100% clean electricity by 2040.

If signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills, the goal of LD 1868 — “An Act to Advance a Clean Energy Economy by Updating Renewable and Clean Resource Procurement Laws,” sponsored by state Sen. Mark Lawrence (D-York) — is to expand Maine's existing renewable portfolio to 90% by 2040 and add in a new category of clean resources that can compete for the remaining 10% of the state’s energy supply.

The bill follows up on the state’s new four-year climate plan, published late last year, that calls for 100% of Maine’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2040 and to achieve carbon neutrality across Maine by 2045.

The plan was released by the Maine Climate Council and Mills.

The state's initial four-year plan, published in 2020, set goals that included using renewable sources for 80% of the state's energy by 2030, and 100% for 2050.

The bill says that, beginning Jan. 1, 2026, and every two years thereafter, the Governor’s Energy Office will conduct competitive solicitations to procure energy from renewable and clean resources to meet electricity demand and reliability needs.

The bill amends the state goals for consumption of electricity from renewable resources so that by Jan. 1, 2040, 90% of retail sales electricity will come from renewable resources and 10% of retail sales electricity will come from clean resources.

Passage of the bill comes amidst uncertainty around the future of federal funding and policies related to renewable initiatives, such as loans administered by Efficiency Maine for homes and businesses installing energy upgrades.