Maine Clean Energy Day a Success!

Pictured from left to right: Shaun Chapman, Clearway Energy; Chad Allen, Longroad Energy; Ian Springsteel, Gridwealth; Garret Oester, LineVision; Pamela Paultre, Solect Energy; Doug Denny-Brown, PathZERO Energy; Oliwia Krupinska, NECEC; Matt Shortsleeve, Solect Energy; Heather Tackle, Power Options; Josh Rosen, Foley Hoag, LLP; Richard Brody, CTC Global; Dave Wilby, Wilby Public Affairs; Natalie Treat, NECEC; Andrew Hickock, Solect Energy; and Joe Curtatone, NECEC.

More than a dozen NECEC member companies representing an array of sectors joined NECEC in Augusta on February 1 for our 2024 Maine Clean Energy Day. It was an energizing day where we met with key state leaders, and developers and innovators got to share their insights on how Maine can be a leader in the climate economy.

The NECEC team led by President Joe Curtatone, VP of DEIJ and Workforce Development Barry Reaves, Director of Public Policy Natalie Treat and Analyst Oliwia Krupinska brought NECEC members through a series of key meetings, including with Senate President Troy Jackson and Senate Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli—both important leaders on energy legislation—House Majority Leader Mo Terry, House Chair of the Joint Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee Rep. Paige Zeigler as well as committee members Rep. Valli Geiger and Rep. Walter Runte. The team also met with Dan Burgess, Director of the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) and three of his colleagues and paid visits to several other offices while in the State House.

Richard Brody of CTC Global showed Senate President Troy Jackson and Senate Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli the difference between traditional transmission cable, and an advanced conductor capable of doubling carrying capacity.

“The major takeaway from the day: lawmakers and GEO want to hear from industry more often,” said Director of Public Policy Natalie Treat. “They appreciated that we made the trip and were interested to learn about member companies' aspirations and concerns. They want to partner with us to help Maine meet its clean energy and climate goals, and they urged us to stay in touch,” said Treat.

“State climate action will only succeed if there are enough skilled workers to install the solar panels, manufacture the wind turbines, maintain the hydrogen pipelines, and so on,” said VP for DEIJ and Workforce Development Barry Reaves, who is working to accelerate clean workforce development in Maine and across New England by developing partnerships with clean energy and economic development agencies.

“That’s why clean energy legislation should provide resources for training the new generation of clean energy workers and transitioning skilled workers out of the fossil fuel economy. State leaders have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to make the critical investments into funding the clean energy workforce training programs that align with their clean energy strategies,” said Reaves.

Barry Reaves, NECEC; Pamela Paultre, Solect Energy; Jessica Robertson, New Leaf Energy; and Andrew Hickock, Solect Energy were among the many who attended E2Tech’s legislative breakfast on energy and environmental topics before we kicked off Clean Energy Day.

Reaves met with Samantha Dina, Associate Commissioner at the Maine Department of Labor and Daniel Estes, Infrastructure Workforce Policy Lead to discuss best practices and policy ideas to help Maine meet its clean energy and workforce goals.

We are grateful to all the NECEC members who joined us for a successful day, as well as to E2Tech, MREA, and NECEC board member Dave Wilby for providing local perspectives throughout the day.

If you would like to get involved with NECEC’s Policy Committee, please reach out to us at policy@necec.org. Or join us for our Connecticut Clean Energy Day on March 7! Registration is now open.