July 15, 2025
Augusta, MAINE – The Maine Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) released the following statement today on the Maine Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) Request for Proposals (RFP) for new cost-effective renewable energy projects:
“We welcome this action by the PUC, which calls for renewable energy projects that will reduce energy costs for Maine ratepayers, including those on lands unusable due to contamination, by July 25,” said Dan Burgess, Director of the Maine Governor’s Energy Office. “Quickly locking in these projects will reduce Maine’s reliance on fossil fuels, build energy affordability and security for the future, and create good jobs and investment in Maine.”
The RFP calls for new renewable energy projects that would produce approximately 13 percent of the state’s annual electricity usage. It is the result of bipartisan legislation proposed by Senator Stacy Brenner that was signed into law by Governor Mills in 2023, and amended this session. The legislation requires that projects procured through this RFP result in reduced electricity costs for Maine customers, with a preference for projects located on farmland contaminated with PFAS as well as for projects that avoid locating on active farmland or forested land.
According to a recent report, Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) — the portion of electricity sold in Maine supplied by renewable sources — has saved ratepayers more than $21 million annually in electricity costs since 2011; driven more than $100 million in direct investment and approximately $900 million in operations and maintenance spending; and supported over 1,000 jobs.
On June 20, Governor Mills signed LD 1868, which codifies the state’s statutory requirement to use 100 percent clean energy by 2040. The law requires that 90 percent of the electricity consumed in the state come from renewable sources by 2040 – up from 80 percent by 2030 – and creates a requirement under the new Clean Energy Standard of an additional 10 percent by 2040 that may come from a broader range of clean energy technologies.
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