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AUGUSTA– With climate change and energy consumption two of
the greatest and most interconnected issues facing us today, the
State must take a comprehensive approach to addressing both. Speaker
of the House Hannah Pingree is calling for new policies aimed at
requiring state agencies to assess new projects for their long-term
energy use and climate impact, consider wildlife habitat and integrate
bicycle and pedestrian access in state and local transportation
planning projects.
“The decisions we make today, will shape Maine’s energy and environmental future,” said Speaker Pingree. “The homes, schools, sewage treatment facilities, factories and roads we build over the next five to ten years will determine our energy bills for the next fifty to a hundred years. The question we must ask ourselves is: do we continue to conduct business as usual, or do we start to look at decisions differently and make a determined effort to think long-term?”
Speaker Pingree’s legislation would establish a state policy requiring that before building any new state infrastructure, or approving a long term state plan, all agencies and state authorities must look for ways to cut down on future energy use and save money. Energy use and climate pollution are currently not considered in most state permitting and licensing decisions – even though they are two of the state’s greatest challenges.
“There have been immense gains in building and energy technology that make possible incredible energy savings,” said Steve Hinchman, staff attorney for the Conservation Law Foundation. “[This bill] would fundamentally change the calculus by requiring state agencies and private sector alike to plan for and integrate – from the start – the energy consequences of the proposed development.”
Speaker Pingree is proposing to direct the Department of Environmental Protection to establish major substantive rules adding energy use and greenhouse gas emissions to Site Law and other key permitting processes. To help the process run efficiently, the bill provides for automatic exemptions for projects that are designed to reduce energy use and climate pollution from the outset. A list of accepted practices would be developed so that developers and planners could choose from the list knowing they would be in compliance.
“Energy efficiency and renewable energy use is most cost effective when designed into a project from the start,” said Speaker Pingree. “We are scrambling now to retrofit old buildings to curb their energy use and there is only so much you that can be done to cost effectively save money at that point. Using efficiency and alternative energy sources built into the design of new schools or sewer treatment plants will save energy bills for decades into the future.”
Speaker Pingree is also calling for the State of Maine to re-examine the way environmental protection is addressed. The legislation seeks to build roads and new houses in ways that protect wildlife habitat given a changing climate.
Finally, the legislation would establish more forward thinking transportation planning. Encouraging bicycle and pedestrian friendly streets will reduce transportation costs and climate pollution, and help address Maine childhood obesity and other health issues.
Commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, David Littell testified in favor of the Legislation, noting that the new policies would help the state meet reduced carbon dioxide goals. “It has been repeatedly shown that new infrastructure that is planned to maximize energy efficiency in materials and energy use, and which takes into account other carbon-related choices such as transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, produces economic benefits that far exceed any initial additional costs,” Littell said in his prepared testimony to the Natural Resources Committee.
The Natural Resources Committee has not scheduled a work session
on Speaker Pingree’s legislation, LD
1333, An Act to Establish Climate and Energy Planning in Maine.