http://www.environmentmaine.org/newsroom/energy/energy-program-news http://www.environmentmaine.org/newsroom/energy/energy-program-news/environment-maine-launches-campaign-calling-on-candidates-to-support-a-new-energy-future PORTLAND—Environment Maine today launched a new campaign calling on all state and congressional candidates to support policies to move America and Maine beyond oil and toward a cleaner energy future. “There is no question that America has the know-how to reduce our dependence on oil and move toward a cleaner, more secure energy future,” said Jennifer Andersen of Environment Maine. “We need leaders who support moving America and Maine in a new direction that puts our national security, our environment, our global climate, and our children’s futures above Big Oil and other powerful interests,” continued Andersen. Environment Maine is asking all congressional and state legislative candidates to deliver on the promise of a New Energy Future by committing to support policies that help the U.S. achieve four key goals: • Reduce U.S. dependence on oil by saving one-third of the oil we use today by 2025; • Harness clean, renewable, homegrown energy sources for at least one quarter of all energy needs by 2025; • Save energy with high performance homes, buildings and appliances so that by 2025 we use 10 percent less energy than we do today; and • Invest in a New Energy Future by tripling research and development funding for the energy-saving and renewable technologies we need to achieve these goals. Environment Maine Research & Policy Center also released a report today showing the benefits of these policies to America’s environment, economy, and national security. Environment Maine Research & Policy Center found that achieving these goals, by 2025 would enable the United States to: • Save 10.8 million barrels of oil per day, equal to four-fifths of the amount of oil we currently import from all other nations in the world. • Save 9.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas per year, nearly twice as much as currently used in all of America’s homes. • Save 900 million tons of coal per year, or about 80 percent of all the coal consumed in the United States in 2005. • Save 1.7 billion megawatt-hours of electricity per year, 30 percent more than was used in all the households in America in 2005. “The potential payback from these efforts is tremendous,” said Andersen. “The result will be a cleaner, more sustainable foundation on which to build America’s economy for the 21st century,” continued Andersen. “Considering the adverse health impact on respiratory status, cardiac function and neurodevelopment from particulates and toxics produced by burning fossil fuels, it is clear that making better energy choices today will improve our health for generations to come,” observed Peter Wilk, M.D, Co-President of the Maine chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility. Environment Maine today specifically calls on all federal and state legislative candidates to support the goals of a New Energy Future. Mainers want to put American innovation and ingenuity to work to solve our energy problems,” stated Andersen. “By supporting these goals, Maine’s federal and state candidates can help make the promise of a New Energy Future a reality,” concluded Andersen. Over the next six weeks, Environment Maine will work with State Public Interest Research Groups and other State Environment groups across the country to build support for the goals of the New Energy Future in more than 50 of the highest profile congressional races. The full text of the report and the New Energy Future goals are available at www.environmentmaine.org. http://www.environmentmaine.org/newsroom/energy/energy-program-news/environment-maine-launches-campaign-calling-on-candidates-to-support-a-new-energy-future Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:20:05 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/newsroom/energy/energy-program-news/groups-call-on-governer-baldacci-to-re-double-efforts-to-curb-global-warming-pollution Augusta, ME – Days before the annual meeting of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers, Governor Baldacci received a letter from a diverse array of organizations, congratulating him on passage of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and calling for re-doubled efforts to curb global warming emissions. The Governors will discuss recommendations on global warming action that were drafted at a meeting in Quebec City last February. The letter congratulates Governor Baldacci for his strong leadership on global warming, including the recent passage of LD 1851, which established Maine’s participation in RGGI and allows for significant increases in energy efficiency investments. More than 130 groups from across the region signed the letter, including about 30 organizations and businesses in Maine. Signatories include colleges, public health advocates, interfaith associations, energy entrepreneurs, lobstermen and legislative leaders as well as a host of environmental groups. “Limits on power plant emissions under RGGI and clean cars regulations passed last year in Maine are major accomplishments for Maine’s Climate Action Plan,” said Dylan Voorhees, Energy Director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “However Maine and the other New England states are not on track to meet the pollution reduction goals they set in 2001. That’s why we need renewed leadership and coordination at the Governors level.” Maine could take advantage of many oppor­tunities to reduce its biggest uses of energy and tap local sources of renewable energy, using technologies that are feasible today. Achieving the region’s near-term energy efficiency and renewable energy potential could shave our energy consumption by at least 18 percent and reduce the region’s global warming emissions by at least 20 percent, according to Tomorrow’s Energy Today, a report released today by the Environment Maine Research & Policy Center and the Natural Resources Council of Maine. While the region experiences various aspects of an energy crisis, from high and volatile energy prices to strained infrastructure and supply to global warming, Tomorrow’s Energy Today underscores the availability and feasibility of solutions to New England’s energy problems. “When it comes to energy policy, we’ve been on auto-pilot for too long,” said Matthew Davis of the Environment Maine Research & Policy Center. “We need to turn the wheel harder to steer our state to a new energy future.” According to the new report (produced as part of New England Climate Coalition), a scenario that takes advantage of the region’s full near-term energy efficiency and renewable energy potential could cut: gasoline consumption by 21 percent; diesel fuel by 13 percent; natural gas by 22 percent; coal by 28 percent; nuclear power production by 26 per­cent; and reduce the region’s emissions of carbon dioxide by nearly 20 percent. These global warming reductions would exceed the mid-term goals for emission reduc­tions of 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 set out in the New England Governors/East­ern Canadian Premiers’ 2001 Climate Change Action Plan. The region’s governors head to the annual conference of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers in Prince Edward Island (PEI) from June 25 to 26, to discuss energy, environmental and other issues. “Governor Baldacci and his colleagues can move the ball forward by adopting proposals to implement new energy and transportation policies that will be on the agenda in PEI next week,” said Michael Stoddard, Deputy Director at Environment Northeast, who will be at the conference. “We hope the governors and premiers will also start a dialogue about establishing a provincial cap and trade system and closing any loopholes that, if unattended, could increase the amount of high-carbon electricity generated in Canada to satisfy exports to New England,” continued Stoddard. “Our research shows that the solutions exist to curb global warming pollution and can keep our state on track to meet our commitment,” said Davis. “Now our leaders must renew that commitment at the coming governors and premiers meeting.” By implementing technologies available today, New England can significantly reduce energy use and global warming emissions, including: · Weatherizing homes to reduce their use of fuel for space heating during the cold winter months and reduce air conditioning demand in the summer; · Improved water heaters and other major appli­ances for homeowners that achieve significant reductions in energy consumption; · More energy-efficient space heating, cooling and lighting equipment in commercial buildings; · More efficient motors in industrial facilities, along with smarter integration of motors into industrial processes; and · Combined heat-and-power technology that allows business and industry to create heat and electricity at the same time – resulting in a large improve­ment in overall energy efficiency. In addition, Tomorrow’s Energy Today reviewed New England’s solar and wind energy resources. Currently, very little of New England’s energy comes from within the region – only enough to power our homes, vehicles and businesses for 2 hours and 15 minutes of every day. Taking advantage of only a small share of our renew­able resources could enable us to replace 10 percent of the region’s electricity generation with new renewable energy in the near future. “Just yesterday the National Research Defense Council released an analysis that ranked Maine 15th on a list of states whose population is most vulnerable state to high gas prices. We were the only northeastern state in the top 30, and we were ranked 41st in terms of investment in transit alternatives. We need to take control of our fossil fuel consumption before it takes even greater control of us,” said Voorhees. Download Tomorrow’s Energy Today and a copy of the letter to Governor Baldacci at www.nrcm.org http://www.environmentmaine.org/newsroom/energy/energy-program-news/groups-call-on-governer-baldacci-to-re-double-efforts-to-curb-global-warming-pollution Fri, 10 Aug 2007 09:36:54 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/newsroom/energy/energy-program-news/large-scale-solar-power-plants-could-power-nation-combat-global-warming-and-create-thousands-of-jobs For immediate release: http://www.environmentmaine.org/newsroom/energy/energy-program-news/large-scale-solar-power-plants-could-power-nation-combat-global-warming-and-create-thousands-of-jobs Thu, 08 May 2008 09:48:31 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/newsroom/energy/energy-program-news/maine--applauded-for-leadership-on-clean-energy For Immediate http://www.environmentmaine.org/newsroom/energy/energy-program-news/maine--applauded-for-leadership-on-clean-energy Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:41:15 -0600 http://www.environmentmaine.org/newsroom/energy/energy-program-news/environment-maine-research--policy-center-report-shows-ten-opportunities-to-build-a-new-energy-future-call-on-candidates-to-support-policies-to-solve-u_s_-energy-crisis Portland, Maine — Environment Maine Research & Policy Center today unveiled the ten best opportunities to move America and Maine beyond fossil fuels and toward a cleaner, more secure energy future. The list is based on Environment Maine Research & Policy Center ’s new report The Road to a New Energy Future, which highlights numerous technologies to reduce U.S. dependence on fossil fuels. It is the second of two reports that reinforce the importance of an American commitment to moving toward a cleaner and more secure energy future. “With war in the middle east, volatile gas prices, and the gathering storm of global warming, America needs a new energy future,” said Jennifer Andersen, Advocate with Environment Maine Research & Policy Center . “We cannot afford to pass up any of these golden opportunities,” continued Andersen. Environment Maine Research & Policy Center ’s report shows that the U.S. already has the tools to accomplish the goals of reducing U.S. dependence on oil; harnessing clean, renewable, homegrown energy; and saving energy with high performance homes, buildings and appliances. Identified by Environment Maine Research & Policy Center as among the ten best opportunities for a New Energy Future include: • Hybrid vehicles. Vehicles already exist that go 100 miles on a gallon of gas. • “Zero Energy” homes. Build homes that can generate as much energy as they use by combining energy efficiency technologies and renewable energy such as solar-panels. • Industrial motor efficiency . The use of high-efficiency motors and better controls in the industrial, electricity generation and commercial sectors could reduce total U.S. electricity demand by as much as 15 to 25 percent. • Solar heated water . Using roof-mounted solar collectors to heat household water can reduce energy consumption for water heating by about two-thirds and pay for themselves within four to eight years. • Farm energy. The U.S. already gets about 3 percent of its energy from “biomass” -- plant waste and energy crops which can be obtained from a variety of sources, from forestry industry residues to crop residues to dedicated energy crops. • Harness the wind. The wind that blows through America ’s Great Plains could theoretically generate enough electricity to power the entire country. The cost of wind turbines has declined by approximately 90 percent in the last 20 years and wind is now cost-competitive with fossil fuel electricity generation in many parts of the country. • Capture the power of the sun . The potential for electricity from solar energy in the United States is huge; solar photovoltaic panels, or PV panels, placed on just 7 percent of the area currently covered by cities and residences could generate all of America ’s electricity. The price of solar energy has dropped dramatically over the last two decades. • Change light bulbs . Lighting accounts for about 9 percent of household electricity consumption. If every American household replaced its most highly used incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, total household lighting consumption could be cut in half. • Capture the heat of the earth . The natural heat and hot water contained deep within the earth itself provides a renewable source of energy. More than one million geothermal heat pumps are currently in use in the United States , but there is great potential for expansion in the market. • Put a stake in the heart of the energy vampires. Replacing existing appliances with those that minimize the energy wasted by “standby” power use could reduce energy losses by 68 percent. Environment Maine today also called on all Congressional candidates in Maine to support the goals of a New Energy Future just as 37 state legislative candidates already have. (For a complete list of state legislative candidates supporting the platform, see attached document.) “The opportunity for a New Energy Future is knocking and Maine people are calling on our leaders to answer,” said Andersen. “We need national and state commitments to put these clean energy tools in the hands of the individuals and businesses that will build our energy future,” continued Andersen. More than 250 environmental, consumer, labor, and civic groups across the country including Physicians for Social Responsibility and Maine Center for Economic Policy in Maine have endorsed the New Energy Future platform to take advantage of these opportunities to reduce oil use, promote the use of renewable energy, and help Americans save energy . The full text of the report and the New Energy Future goals are available at www.EnvironmentMaine.org http://www.environmentmaine.org/newsroom/energy/energy-program-news/environment-maine-research--policy-center-report-shows-ten-opportunities-to-build-a-new-energy-future-call-on-candidates-to-support-policies-to-solve-u_s_-energy-crisis Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:14:30 -0500