Climate and environmental news coverage by the Maine Public News Team
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Climate change is happening here, right now in Maine. It has begun to amplify challenges in society such as housing, energy affordability, health, immigration and food security.
Maine Public reports on these changes every week over each of our platforms, and all that work starts at the Climate Desk. Maine Public’s in-depth reporting on these crucial stories details how our world is changing and explores new thinking on what we can all do to help mitigate and adapt to the changes taking place around us.
Maine Public’s statewide reach and trusted, balanced journalism uniquely equips us to cover complex stories like Maine’s changing climate. Find the latest in climate news in Maine here, at Maine Public’s Climate Desk. Check it out below.
Maine Public's Climate Desk is made possible by the generous support of:
Horizon Foundation; Jane's Trust; Maine Community Foundation; Maine Woodland Owners;
Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation; Onion Foundation; Orchard Foundation; UniBob Fund
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This summer, York and Cumberland Counties will update floodplain maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the first time in years. The maps show that hundreds of additional property owners may face flood risks.
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Several environmental groups have filed suit against the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for failing to slash carbon emissions as required by state law.
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The added cost would be paid for through rate increases, following multiple major storms last year.
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The funds will accelerate a Maine pilot program that has installed and tested whole-home heat pumps inside more than 60 mobile homes so far. The new grant will cover the installation costs for up to 675 additional mobile homes.
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Governor Janet Mills requests major disaster declaration from President Joe Biden for January stormsGovernor Mills said that damage to roads, bridges and public buildings from the two storms is estimated at more than $70 million. Mills has asked for federal Public Assistance, Individual Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant funding.
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Coastal communities are still struggling to recover from last month's back-to-back storms. The situation has left families and businesses facing complex questions as they try to rebuild generations-old infrastructure in a way that prepares for future storms.
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Many residents say they want the city of South Portland to recreate the historic and beloved Willard Beach fishing shacks that were wiped away in last month's storm. But city officials caution that a rebuild could get complicated.
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Rumery's Boatyard in Biddeford was recognized by the USDA's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) for building a solar array system. The boatyard houses the electricity-focused startups: Maine Electric Boat, and Marine Solar Technologies.
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The governor has proposed taking $50 million from Maine's nearly $1 billion Rainy Day Fund for the program, although lawmakers will have to go along with the plan.
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Maine's electric utilities are pushing back on a proposal that could potentially link their profits and revenues to specific performance goals.
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In her State of the State address, Mills said that she wants to bolster the Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund to help communities rebuild and recover from recent coastal storms.
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The Biden administration approved Maine's request to declare December's storm and flooding a major disaster. The designation allows for the affected areas in Maine to use federal aid funding to rebuild public infrastructure.