Maine legislative updates on climate bills

April 3, 2021

By Ramona du Houx

While work at the state house is limited within COVID-19 health restrictions there is still a lot that is going on in the climate sector. The following are bills being decided upon in the Maine Legislature.

LD 226 (link): An Act To Limit the Use of Hydrofluorocarbons To Fight Climate Change, was tabled on March 24 and will be scheduled for a future work session by the Committee On Environment and Natural Resources. Read GOPIF’s factsheet on hydrofluorocarbons here (link).

LD 340 (link): An Act To Allow for the Establishment of Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Programs, is currently under consideration by the Legislature’s Committee On Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill would implement one of the funding recommendations of Maine Won’t Wait, and the committee held a work planning session for the bill and voted on March 23^rd. A divided report is anticipated but, following diligent work between the lenders and advocates, the bill has bipartisan support and is still in committee pending final amendment language.

LD 437 (link): An Act To Establish the Maine Healthy Soils Program, is currently under consideration by the Legislature’s Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. The committee held a work session for the bill on March 16^th and voted on March 18^th, with the bill winning unanimous support from the 10 committee members at the work session, although a divided report is anticipated. This bill is still in committee pending final amendment language.

LD 722 (link): Resolve, To Study the Establishment of the Maine Climate Corps, was heard by the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources in a public hearing on March 22^nd. A work session for this bill has not yet been scheduled.

LD 940 (link): An Act To Establish Appliance Energy and Water Standards was Legislature’s Committee On Environment and Natural Resources in a public hearing on March 29th. A work session for this bill has not yet been scheduled.

The Maine Legislature is currently live streaming and recording committee sessions on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/MaineStateLegislature/featured; check out the “Channels” tab to find videos for each legislative joint committee.