Governor Mills Recognized as “Clean Energy Champion” by Maine Renewable Energy Association

Last night, Governor Janet Mills was awarded the Renewable Energy Champion Award by the Maine Renewable Energy Association (MREA) in recognition of her work to grow Maine’s clean energy sector, expand renewable power, and create clean energy jobs across the state.

Since taking office, Governor Mills has worked to lower costs and grow the state’s economy through the development of local clean energy. Under her leadership, Maine’s clean energy sector has experienced historic growth – contributing billions to Maine’s economy and at times expanding faster than any other New England state.

“Maine is not slowing down when it comes to clean energy — we’re doubling down,” said Governor Mills. “Where Washington fails, Maine will not. We are focused on practical solutions that lower costs, grow our economy, and deliver more affordable, reliable power to Maine people and businesses.” 

"Since the moment she took office, Governor Mills has been a bold, impactful, and inspiring leader in Maine's clean energy transition. Thanks to her and her administration, Maine is a leader in clean energy job creation and renewable energy infrastructure investment. MREA is proud to recognize her as a Renewable Energy Champion,” said Eliza Donoghue, MREA Executive Director.

In 2019 the Governor signed historic legislation to increase Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard –the portion of electricity sold in Maine generated from renewable sources – to 80 percent by 2030. Last year, she signed legislation stablishing a new Clean Energy Standard to reach 100 percent clean energy by 2040. Since 2019, Maine has added or supported more than 2 gigawatts of new or improved clean energy to the grid, helping to suppress energy costs by reducing the state’s reliance on volatile fossil fuels.

That progress is already delivering tangible benefits for Maine communities. Last September, the 126-megawatt Downeast Wind project opened in Washington County, generating enough clean energy to power more than 37,000 Maine homes annually. Next week, Maine will welcome its first standalone, grid-scale battery storage project in Gorham, a 175-megawatt facility that will help reduce the need for costly oil and gas during periods of peak demand.

Under the Governor’s Leadership, Maine’s reliance on home heating oil has fallen sharply, dropping nearly 20 percent between 2018 and 2024 – the lowest in decades – driven by expanded access to cost-saving, energy efficient heat pumps. In 2023, Maine exceeded the Governor’s goal of installing 100,000 heat pumps two years early and set a new target of 275,000 heat pumps installed by 2027. These efforts are reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, lowering household energy costs, and supporting a growing clean energy workforce, about 60 percent of whom work in energy efficiency roles such as heat pump installation, weatherization, and HVAC.

Since 2022, the Mills Administration has invested more than $9 million in competitive grant funding to support clean energy workforce development and innovation programs across the state. To date, more than 5,000 individuals and over 75 businesses have been supported through these investments. Small and startup businesses participating in the innovation programs have raised a total of more than $57 million in capital to date.

To continue this work, last year Governor Mills established Maine’s first cabinet-level Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to lead State energy policy, programs, and planning in support of more affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy. DOER will conduct a procurement this year to increase energy storage projects in Maine, key to lowering energy supply costs and ensuring reliability when electricity is most expensive, such as during periods of high demand. 

The Maine Renewable Energy Association (MREA) is a not-for-profit association of renewable energy producers, suppliers of goods and services to those producers, and other supporters of this industry. For more on the organization, visit renewablemaine.org.