4 days Ago
This Tuesday, April 8, Gov. Janet Mills’ proposal to elevate the Governor’s Energy Office to a cabinet-level position will have a hearing. The bill is LD 1270 , An Act To Establish The Department of Energy Resources.
This move is a necessary and strategic step forward for Maine’s energy future. With more than 40 other states already operating with cabinet-level energy leadership — including most of our neighbors in the Northeast — the creation of a department will strengthen Maine’s ability to plan for a clean, reliable and affordable energy system. Joe Curtatone is president of the Alliance for Climate Transition.
By making the Governor’s Energy Office a cabinet-level department, Maine will align itself with national best practices that have proven effective in other states. In New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, elevated energy offices have played a crucial role in modernizing the grid, streamlining permitting and driving clean energy investments. Maine is already making progress toward its ambitious energy goals — including achieving 100% clean electricity by 2040 and installing 3 gigawatts of offshore wind by the same year — but a stronger and more centralized energy office will ensure long-term policy stability and accountability.
A cabinet-level energy office would also enhance Maine’s ability to oversee the growing electrification of homes, businesses and transportation. As more extreme weather events threaten our power systems, Maine must proactively strengthen its electric grid, improve transmission and distribution infrastructure and expand clean energy storage. Other states have successfully used this approach to lower energy costs, increase grid resilience and ensure energy reliability.
Maine should do the same. Beyond reliability, this proposal is a smart economic move. Maine’s clean energy sector is poised to create thousands of new jobs, from man ufacturing to offshore wind development to heat pump installation.
A more coordinated and well-resourced energy office will help Maine attract private investment, grow its clean energy workforce and position the state as a leader in the transition to a modern, low-carbon economy. It could also affect the cost of energy, which directly affects household budgets, shaping everything from monthly expenses to long-term financial stability. For many families, rising utility bills are a large percentage of their monthly budget.
These bills are a significant economic burden that affect their ability to afford other essentials like food and health care. Given this reality, state leaders must treat energy affordability as a top priority, ensuring that policies and investments drive lower costs, greater efficiency and a more resilient energy system. Without clean energy in the mix, Mainers will inevitably need to rely more heavily on fossil fuel plants that are vulnerable to fuel supply shortages and price spikes during the winter and summer months.
The energy market works by selecting the cheapest form of energy available to provide the required amount of energy demanded by the market. If more affordable clean energy suddenly becomes more expensive than oil and gas, the market will choose those less expensive sources. By expanding access to clean energy solutions, modernizing infrastructure and fostering competition in the energy market, policymakers can help protect consumers from volatile prices and rising costs while advancing a sustainable future.
Most importantly, this change is a fiscally responsible decision that does not require new funding. Instead, it improves governance efficiency by consolidating energy planning, permitting and procurement authority under one dedicated office. This added authority will allow Maine to conduct competitive energy procurement, ensuring the state can secure clean energy at scale while lowering costs for consumers.
Gov. Mills’ proposal is not just an administrative change. It’s about ensuring that Maine has the tools and leadership necessary to meet its energy and climate goals while protecting consumers.
With a growing clean energy sector, increasing electrification and ambitious climate commitments, now is the time to elevate the Governor’s Energy Office and give it the resources and authority it needs to help Maine thrive in the 21st-century climate economy. We believe it’s important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way.
It’s a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. Read more..
. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. For those stories that we do enable discussion, our system may hold up comments pending the approval of a moderator for several reasons, including possible violation of our guidelines.
As the Maine Trust’s digital team reviews these comments, we ask for patience. Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday and limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve.
By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here .
Show less Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs .
Your commenting screen name has been updated. Send questions/comments to the editors..
