AUGUSTA - Rep. Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham, presented LD 856, An Act To Balance Renewable Energy Development with Natural and Working Lands Conservation, before the Legislature's Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee on Tuesday.
As amended, the bill would direct the Governor's Energy Office (GEO) to create and maintain a publicly accessible database of fully permitted or constructed energy projects to assess their impacts on natural resources and help inform decision-making on future projects. It would also direct the GEO to plan for the development of a pilot program for dual-use solar projects on agricultural or horticultural land and require the office to include agricultural and natural resource stakeholders at future work sessions of the Distributed Generation Stakeholder Group.
"This bill will help identify the best places for renewable energy development while simultaneously ensuring that our most precious natural resources will be protected," said Berry. "It will help our state move forward in the critical transition to a clean energy future and still protect our agriculture and forestry industries."
The legislation was supported by both the GEO and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, as well as the Natural Resources Council of Maine, The Nature Conservancy in Maine (TNC) and the American Farmland Trust (AFT), among others.
"Maintaining the virtuous relationship between clean energy and natural resources requires being intentional about where new projects are located," said Rob Wood, director of government relations and climate policy for TNC. "TNC believes that with the right policy frameworks in place, Maine and the region can build the clean energy we need in a way that is compatible with our natural and working lands. LD 856 represents an important step toward achieving this goal."
"LD 856, as amended by Rep. Berry, provides mechanisms that support the State of Maine's renewable energy goals, increase agricultural representation during solar policy conversations and increase solar energy project data transparency to better understand the potential impact that solar energy has on Maine's farmland and Maines family farms," said Emily Cole, New England deputy director of the AFT.
The Legislature's Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee will hold a work session on the bill on March 8.
Berry represents House District 55, which includes Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Swan Island and most of Richmond. He previously served from 2006 to 2014, the final two years as House majority leader, and returned to the House in 2016.
Contact:
Jackie Merrill [Berry], c. 812-1111