Three Open Grant Opportunities to Help Maine Communities to Address Effects of Climate Change

Augusta, MAINE – The Mills Administration today announced the opening of three grant opportunities available to communities across Maine to address climate change effects through investments to improve energy efficiency, transition to clean energy, expand local and regional planning capacity, and protect infrastructure from damaging storms or rising sea levels. These grants will be awarded to Maine cities, towns, and Tribal governments through […]

Augusta, MAINE – The Mills Administration today announced the opening of three grant opportunities available to communities across Maine to address climate change effects through investments to improve energy efficiency, transition to clean energy, expand local and regional planning capacity, and protect infrastructure from damaging storms or rising sea levels.

These grants will be awarded to Maine cities, towns, and Tribal governments through the state’s Community Resilience Partnership, which helps communities plan for climate change, reduce carbon emissions, and increase resilience to climate effects. Since the program was first announced by Governor Mills in December 2021, some 174 cities, towns, and Tribal governments in Maine have chosen to participate in the Partnership either as individual entities or in regional coalitions. Since its inception, the program has awarded nearly $6.1 million to 103 communities.

Open grant opportunities include:

Community Action Grants (up to $50,000) These grants will enable eligible communities to implement projects that reduce energy use and costs, transition to clean energy, and make communities in Maine more resilient to climate change. This round of Community Action Grants is open to enrolled communities that have not yet received a Community Action Grant award. The next round of Community Action Grants in the fall of 2024 will open to all enrolled communities. Applications are due on March 29, 2024. An informational webinar will be held on December 20, 2023 at 11am. Registration is here.

*NEW* Energy Efficiency Priorities Grants (up to $100,000)  This is a special, one-time grant offering through the Community Resilience Partnership to distribute federal funds to disadvantaged communities for projects that improve energy efficiency and implement clean energy systems. GOPIF anticipates making 10 awards of approximately $100,000 each to eligible communities through a competitive Request for Applications (RFA) process. To be eligible, communities must be enrolled in the Partnership AND be designated as “disadvantaged” by the federal EPA CEJST tool. See RFA for full eligibility requirements. Applications are due on February 16, 2024. An informational webinar will be held on December 20, 2023 at 1:30pm. Join here .

Service Provider Grants These are grants to service provider organizations to assist communities to prepare for and enroll in the Community Resilience Partnership and then apply for grant funds to undertake priority projects. Applications are due on February 2, 2024. An informational webinar will be held on December 20 and 10:00am. Registration is here.See our Partner communities and where grants are already at work across Maine. Since 2019, the Mills Administration has prioritized the fight against climate change in Maine through actions to reduce carbon emissions, transition to renewable energy, and make Maine communities more resilient to climate effects.

“These grant opportunities are a vital part of Maine’s Climate Action Plan and reflect the importance of partnering with communities to support resilience on a local level,” said Hannah Pingree, Director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. “Working together we’re funding projects that are individualized to each community that together are creating a better, more sustainable future for all Mainers.”

With bipartisan support of the Legislature, Maine in 2019 enacted laws setting ambitious targets for transitioning to renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These include reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Maine by 45 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.

Governor Mills also pledged that Maine would become carbon-neutral by 2045, a commitment she signed into law in 2022. Earlier this year, the Governor committed to accelerating Maine’s transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2040. Governor Mills also serves as Co-Chair of the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 25 governors committed to fighting climate change by reducing carbon emissions, advancing clean energy, and protecting people and the environment from the effects of the climate crisis.