Maine DECD, Governor’s Energy Office, and Maine Technology Institute initiative will offer grants to improve electrical grid capacity for rural businesses to expand workforce, operations, and efficiency
Governor Janet Mills today announced a $6.5 million Maine Jobs & Recovery program to help Maine businesses update electrical grid capacity at their facilities to expand their operations and workforce.
The program – an initiative of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO), and the Maine Technology Institute (MTI) – will provide grants to fund electric grid upgrades for businesses, with an emphasis on rural, energy-intensive industries, such as agricultural and food systems, seafood harvesting, forestry, manufacturing, and housing.
Grants through this program will help cover the cost of electrical grid upgrades for businesses, helping them to upgrade their infrastructure, grow operations, improve efficiency, expand facilities, or increase their workforce.
“This important investment from my Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan will help growing Maine businesses access safe and reliable electricity to power their operations and increase their efficiency to lower production costs,” said Governor Janet Mills. “Electricity supply can be a challenge for many businesses, especially in rural areas of the state. Investing in electric grid infrastructure is key to providing confidence for employers to locate and grow in Maine.”
“Stable electric infrastructure is key for economic expansion,” said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, and Dan Burgess, Director of the Governor’s Energy Office. “This program will expand and upgrade the electric grid in areas of Maine with the opportunity and interest to grow, to further encourage and retain economic investment in those communities.”
Grants will be awarded through a competitive process administered by MTI. Companies in planning phases with a Maine utility or electrical contractor for a grid upgrade project can determine their eligibility for this program by visiting MTI’s website, as well as find frequently asked questions (FAQs).
MTI will also host two informational sessions about eligibility and application processing. For dates and registration links, please visit MTI’s website.
The Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan is Governor Mills’ plan, approved by the Legislature, to invest nearly $1 billion in Federal American Rescue Plan funds to improve the lives of Maine people and families, help businesses, create good-paying jobs, and build an economy poised for future prosperity.
Since the Jobs Plan took effect in October 2021, the Mills Administration has delivered direct economic relief to nearly 1,000 Maine small businesses, supported more than 100 infrastructure projects around the state to create jobs and revitalize communities, and invested in workforce programs estimated to offer apprenticeship, career and education advancement, and job training opportunities to 22,000 Maine people.
For more about Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, visit maine.gov/jobsplan.