. Governor Mills has made combatting climate change and supporting renewable energy a top priority of her administration. Burgess will help lead those efforts.
PUBLIC HEARING: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 1:00 PM, Cross Building, Room 211
Governor Mills Taps Energy Expert Dan Burgess to Lead Governor’s Energy Office
Governor Janet Mills announced today she has selected leading energy expert and Maine native Dan Burgess to direct the Governor’s Energy Office.
“Using innovative approaches to address climate change and reduce Maine’s carbon footprint is a top priority of my Administration. Dan Burgess is an experienced, highly-qualified leader on state energy policies. I am excited to welcome him to the Governor’s Energy Office to work together to chart a path to Maine’s clean energy future,” said Governor Mills. “Additionally, I am happy to welcome Dan, a native Mainer, and his family home once again.”
“Under the leadership of Governor Mills, Maine’s clean energy future is bright and I am honored to have the opportunity to serve in this role,” said Dan Burgess. “I look forward to working collaboratively to address climate change head on by advancing energy policies that will benefit Maine’s environment and economy.”
The Governor’s Energy Office is responsible for planning and coordinating state energy policy. The Director of the Governor’s Energy Office serves as the primary energy policy advisor to the Governor. Governor Mills has made combatting climate change and supporting renewable energy a top priority of her administration. Burgess will help lead those efforts.
Dan Burgess, 36, grew up on what was then a small dairy farm in Newport, Maine. The farm is now a solar-powered Christmas tree farm. Burgess has spent the last eight years working to advance clean energy and climate policy in the administrations of both current Republican Governor Charlie Baker and Democratic former Governor Deval Patrick. Most recently Burgess served as Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and prior to that as Acting Commissioner. Previously he served as the Legislative Director for Energy for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Burgess has a business degree from the University of Maine Orono as well as a masters in Public Administration from Northeastern University. In addition, Burgess spent five years in the aerospace and software industries and worked on President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. Dan will return to Maine with his wife, Rachael, and their daughter, Lucille
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
NOTICE OF CONFIRMATION HEARING
PUBLIC HEARING: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 1:00 PM, Cross Building, Room 211
JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENERGY, UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY
Senator Mark W. Lawrence, Senate Chair
Representative Melanie Sachs, House Chair
POSITION: Commisioner of Energy Resources
NOMINEE: Mr. Daniel Burgess of Falmouth
PUBLIC HEARING: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 1:00 PM, Cross Building, Room 211
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
The Commissioner serves as chief executive officer of the Department of Energy Resources, which has responsibilities relating to planning, development and implementation of policies, and establishment of programs designed to ensure all households, communities and businesses in the State have access to affordable, reliable and resilient energy supply to meet energy demand, address energy burdens and support economic development while supporting the achievement of the greenhouse gas reduction obligations and climate policies pursuant to Title 38, section 576-A and section 577, subsection 1 and the renewable energy goals established in section 3210, subsection 1-A. The department, established in PL 2025, c. 476, is designated as the energy office for the state.
The commissioner is responsible for the execution of the duties of the department and shall advise the Governor and state agencies on matters related to energy; serve as a member of the Efficiency Maine Trust Board, established under Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 10-C; in collaboration with the relevant state agencies, coordinate state energy policy and actively foster cooperation with the Efficiency Maine Trust, established in chapter 97, and the Maine State Housing Authority, established in Title 30-A, chapter 201; and represent the State’s interests in relevant regional energy organizations and forums to coordinate energy policy. The Commissioner is appointed by the Governor and subject to review by the Joint Standing Committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy matters and confirmation by the Senate.
DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS: Written comments relevant to qualifications of the nominee may be filed with the Legislative Information Office by 9 am on the day of the hearing.
CONTACT PERSON: Casey Milligan, Legislative Information Office, 100 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0100; 207-287-1692
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Comment
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Comment by Long Islander 3 hours ago
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September 24, 2025
Governor's office launches Maine's new Department of Energy Resources
https://www.mainepublic.org/climate/2025-09-24/governors-office-lau...
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EUT: https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/EUT
Click on "LATER" in upper right to advance to January calendar.
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Comment by Frank Haggerty 5 hours ago
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STATE OF MAINE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION MAINE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION )Docket No. 2025-00361 Request for Proposals for Renewable Energy ) Generation and Transmission Projects Pursuant ) December 23, 2025 to the Northern Maine Renewable Energy ) Comments of Development Program 35-A M.R.S S. 3210-I ) ISO New England Inc.
Maine as Third World Country:
CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power
Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.
Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT
******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********
(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/
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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law
Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future
"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."
https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/
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