Maine Climate News
The State of Maine Independently Reports Climate Data
The state of Maine has previously relied on federal data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to report greenhouse gas emissions. For the first time in 30 years, the EPA did not publish that information. The decision followed cuts to the agency and the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
Maine law still requires the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to conduct a biennial greenhouse gas inventory. This year, for the first time, that data will come not from the EPA but from the U.S. Climate Alliance and the University of Maryland. The report will be delayed but is expected to be published by December 2026.
Source: Maine Public
Maine Sues Trump Over Cancellation of Offshore Wind Project
In March, the Trump administration paid the French company TotalEnergies $1 billion to relinquish two offshore wind leases in North Carolina and New York. Instead, the company will finance a liquefied natural gas plant in Texas.
Maine joined the attorneys general of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New York in a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior, arguing that blocking the development of the New York offshore wind project will drive up New England’s electricity prices and make it more difficult for states to reach their climate goals.
Sources: Portland Press Herald and Associated Press
Maine Department of Environmental Protection Denies Permit for Hydroelectric Project
Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) denied water quality certification for the Ellsworth Hydroelectric Project after determining that it failed to meet state water quality standards. The dams have been blamed for pollution on the Union River and killing fish populations due to insufficient fish passages.
In early May, the DEP published a draft order denying the project’s water quality certification. The draft letter received public comments from numerous advocacy groups and community members, most of which supported the denial decision.
Source: The Ellsworth American and Maine Public
Tick Borne Illness in Maine
Maine’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a case of Powassan virus, a tick-borne illness, in Penobscot County. This is the first confirmed case this year and the 41st since 2000. Although less common than Lyme disease, Powassan virus can cause fever, fatigue, and serious neurological complications. Rates of tick-borne illness continue to rise in Maine.
Maine public health officials continue to advise the public to take precautions to prevent tick bites, such as wearing protective clothing, wearing insect repellent, and performing tick checks.
Source: Maine Public
