Batteries and Solar Panels for Poor Main Towns, Who Does the Maintenance?

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced the Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF) has been awarded $2,500,000 through the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2024 Congressionally-Directed Spending (CDS) appropriations package to support an energy resiliency pilot program. As Maine faces increasingly extreme weather and storms, modernizing energy infrastructure through clean solar energy and new storage technologies can help ensure public buildings are able to maintain access to energy during destructive weather events. Proactive investments in renewable and sustainable energy are critical to ensuring communities across Maine are well prepared for future emergency events.

The pilot program will take place in Caribou, Carthage, Dover, Foxcroft, Fairfield, Jonesport, Limestone, Lubec, Machias, Millinocket and Rockland.

The funding is part of the $454 million — for 185 projects — that the entire Maine delegation secured for state projects in the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Package.

“As we saw in the December and January storm events, Maine’s developing communities are especially vulnerable to power outages,” said Senator King. “The good news is that we can improve our energy resiliency by getting ahead of storms with investments in renewable energy and storage infrastructure as we work toward a more resilient and sustainable future. This funding will also help to drive down energy costs and drive long-term stability for local economies. It’s truly a win-win for Maine communities across the state.”

“The intense storms in December and January have been a wake-up call about how vulnerable Maine communities are to effects of climate change, such as flooding and rising sea levels, and how critical investments in resiliency are needed to support public safety,” said Hannah Pingree, Director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future and co-chair of the Maine Climate Council. “Using these funds secured by Sen. King, the Rural Energy Resilience Pilot program will help 10 Maine communities make public buildings more resilient through investments in clean energy and battery storage, to ensure facilities stay online during emergencies, while helping stabilize energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the process. We deeply appreciate the efforts of Sen. King to support this pilot program to help rural Maine communities become more resilient to climate impacts and save local taxpayers money in the process.”

“This project would be extremely beneficial for the town. The Dover-Foxcroft Municipal Building is more than a municipal office,” said Jack Clukey, Town Manager, Town of Dover-Foxcroft. “The building serves multiple tenants including two daycares and social services deliveries by Penquis, our local CAP agency. The building … can serve as an emergency warming/cooling center during extreme weather events.”

“Given the fact that the Machias Fire Department and Machias Ambulance are the first calls for numerous municipalities … this is a critical base of operations,” said Bill Kitchen, Town Manager, Machias. “Energy reliability is of course equally critical. Given the soaring expenses of both fire and ambulance services … any savings is significant and will ultimately reduce the burden on this region’s residents.”

“Investments in energy resilience have so many benefits — including greater energy security and cost savings,” said Julie Hashem, Community Development Director, Rockland. “This grant will fund improvements that will benefit the community for many years to come, and we couldn’t be more grateful.” 

“The town is very adamant about moving towards clean energy,” said Jan Hutchinson, Selectboard Chair, Town of Carthage. “Adding a solar array and battery storage … will help our low-income town reduce costs for residents and move toward a cleaner future. With a minimal municipal budget, the town appreciates this opportunity.” 

As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator King has advocated for climate solutions that support Maine communities and has been one of the Senate’s most vocal advocates for improving energy technologies and development as a way to unlock America’s clean energy future.

The 185 FY24 Maine investments secured by the entire Maine delegation can be downloaded as an Excel spreadsheet HERE and viewed on a map HERE

CDS funding is included in annual federal appropriations bipartisan legislation and provides a specific amount of discretionary funding to a state, locality, or nonprofit organization for projects with demonstrated civic and community value. Last year, Senator King secured over $250 million in Congressionally-Directed Spending for 140 Maine projects.