Maine's first year of a two-year 128th Legislative Session closed in August with a brief government shutdown, dozens of Gubernatorial vetoes, and a slate of energy and environmental bills passed, carried over, or dead!

The fate of solar "net energy billing" was decided amongst a cluster of constitutional, political, and parliamentary maneuvers. Mining regulations survived after years of dueling advocacy campaigns thrust the issue to the top of environmental and business legislative agendas. Small wins for recycling, clean water, and renewable portfolio standards occurred alongside defeats of bills pertaining to on- and offshore wind projects, building code standards, and plastic bag moratoriums. Biomass, microgrids, large-scale hydro, and arsenic testing live to fight another day in the 2nd half of the legislative session in 2018. 

The following list highlights the status of a representative list of energy and environmental bills. For more information about bills' status, contact Jeff Marks at jeffmarks@e2tech.org.

Bills that passed:

• LD56 "An Act to Include Milliliter and Smaller Liquor Bottles in the Laws Governing Returnable Containers"
• LD 454 "An Act to Ensure Safe Drinking Water for Maine Families"
• LD 803 "An Act to Improve Transparency in the Electricity Supply Market"
• LD 820 "An Act to Protect Maine's Clean Water and Taxpayers from Mining Pollution"
• LD 1061 "An Act to Increase Investment and Regulatory Stability in the Electric Industry"
• LD 1151 "An Act to Allow Promotional Allowances by Public Utilities"
• LD 1313 "An Act to Establish Energy Policy In Maine"

Two leaked Federal reports on energy and climate change are generating lively discussions on how the Trump Administration and Congress may tackle these issues in future legislative and executive actions.

"It is extremely likely [95-100%] that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century" is the conclusion of a nearly 700-page draft Climate Science Special Report.

And according to the U.S. Department of Energy's Electric Power System, Markets, and Reliability Study, low natural gas prices, higher maintenance costs for aging infrastructure, and reduced electrical demand are the primary causes for coal and nuclear plant retirements, and not the proliferation of new renewable energy generation across the country.

The U.S. Global Change Research Program's Climate Science Special Report is part of the fourth congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment. A report draft was made available earlier in 2017 for public comment but did not reach most American households until The New York Times reported about it earlier this month. The purpose of the Climate Science Special Report is to document "the state of science relating to climate change and its physical impacts" and does not assess the literature for climate change mitigation, adaptation, economic valuation, societal responses, or policy recommendations. A White House committee of political appointees from thirteen agencies must approve the report in order for the final reports to be released this fall, however, this committee was disbanded on Sunday, August 20. 

The report discusses the physical drivers of climate change detection and attribution of climate change, climate variability and large-scale circulation, temperature and precipitation changes in the United States, changes in land and sea cover, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and compound extremes and tipping elements. Some of the more concerning findings of the report include: 

Temperature

• 16 of the last 17 years are the warmest years on record globally, with 2016 being the hottest year on record.
• The global annual average temperature from 1901-2016 has increased by 1.8°F/1.0°C. [Very High Confidence]
• The average annual temperature over the continuous United States is projected to rise about 2.5°F/1.4°C in the next few decades (relative to the average temperature from 1976-2005) in all emission scenario models. [High Confidence]
• Extreme temperatures are projected to increase even more than average temperatures, and the number of days below freezing is projected to decline while the number of days above 90°F will increase. [Very High Confidence]

                 

Each year, E2Tech gathers thousands of Maine's business movers and shakers, educators, policy makers, and funders together with entrepreneurs, innovators, and startups for information on sharing and networking. We regularly connect environmental and energy innovators with funders, customers, suppliers, mentors, and partners using our diverse and wide network of members and partner organizations.

Our experience has shown that personal connections, introductions, and references are the most effective way to help entrepreneurs. Without a 'connector' they are isolated in their own silos - geographically and by business sector. They often lack knowledge of potential resources available to grow their business. This connector is crucial for our state.

Recently, E2Tech contracted with Lewis "Lew" Hinman, a seasoned executive with expertise in complex business environments in industrial, commercial, environmental, and aerospace markets. His work at United Technologies and Pratt & Whitney gives him deep knowledge in strategic business development, technology development, and collaborative business structures with early-stage enterprises, OEMs, and service providers, as well as acquisitions, due diligence, and integration execution. He has broad international experience in Europe, Asia/Pacific, India, and South Africa.

Cindy Talbot with CJTalbot Services is another startup resource at E2Tech. She has been working with Maine companies to prepare federal and state grant applications for funding to support research, development, and demonstration projects. Cindy has provided support to companies seeking U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and National Science Foundation grants through SBIR/STTR or Broad Agency Announcements resulting in $1.1M in awards.

                   

To learn more about Lew & Cindy, and how they might be able to help your
companies, please contact Jeff Marks at jeffmarks@e2tech.org.

Founded in 1898, Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies made up of more than 5,700 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, consultants, and entrepreneurs with offices across the country and throughout the world. As a 100 percent employee-owned firm, each professional brings an ownership mentality to clients' projects. Employees plan, design, permit, construct, and manage facilities all over the world.

Throughout the past year, Burns & McDonnell has expanded their operations in six Northeastern states: Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. The firm first opened its doors in the Northeast in 2007 and has since grown 700 percent in the region. 

"Our clients and communities are facing complex infrastructure challenges, creating a great need for quick, all-encompassing engineering, architecture, and construction solutions," says Earle Cianchette, Burns & McDonnell Portland, Maine, Office Manager. "We're focused on immersing ourselves within our communities and continuing to grow our team so we can bring even more sustainable solutions to the table."

Backed by an international team of more than 5,700, the Northeastern offices work together to design and build the infrastructure that powers the region, military installations, commercial, aviation, and industrial facilities. The offices have successfully managed approximately $13 billion in projects with investor-owned utility, commercial aviation, manufacturing, and municipal clients. Known as a center for excellence in program management, the Burns & McDonnell project approach is all about alleviating complex issues for clients.

"From concept to completion, we partner with our clients to develop innovative solutions for their specific needs and they reap the benefits of a quick, more seamless approach," says Cianchette. "Our employee-owners supporting Maine and the rest of the Northeast have diverse skill sets and experience, and a strong commitment to clients - elements that make our projects a success."

Burns & McDonnell is recognized by Engineering News-Record as the No. 1 Firm in Power and ranks among the top five percent of contractors nationwide for safety.

As the firm grows, its dedication to being a Best Place to Work remains constant. Burns & McDonnell currently ranks No. 16 among Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For and has been recognized by nearly 30 publications as a best place to work across the country. 

Burns & McDonnell joined E2Tech as a Sustaining Champion in February 2017.

The Governor's Energy Office (Maine GEO) and E2Tech are developing a new Maine Energy Roadmap through a Department of Energy State Energy Program grant. The objectives include achieving energy and cost savings in the residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors; reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions; supporting the growth of a robust state and regional energy market and workforce; and facilitating stakeholder and inter-agency discussions. There are three phases of the Roadmap: Phase I - Baseline Development, Phase II - Expert Task Force Meetings,  and Phase III - Action/Implementation Plan.

In the next few months, the GEO and E2Tech will be hosting forums, task force meetings, workshops, and stakeholder meetings all over the state, and we value your participation.

Upcoming Events (for more information, visit our events page):

E2Tech Forum: Regional & State Energy Policy
Thursday, September 7
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
USM, Portland

Public Input Stakeholder Meeting
Friday, October 13
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
UMPI, Presque Isle

E2Tech Forum: Maine's Heating & Transportation Oil Dependence
Thursday, October 19
8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Maple Hill Farm, Hallowell

Public Input Stakeholder Meeting
Friday, October 20
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Bangor/Orono (TBD)

Public Input Stakeholder Meeting
Friday, October 27
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
USM, Portland

E2Tech Expo 2017
Thursday, November 16
8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
USM, Portland

For more information and to get involved, please contact E2Tech's Executive Director,
Jeff Marks, at jeffmarks@e2tech.org or (207) 956-1970.

“For those concerned, don’t panic! For those excited, don’t get too euphoric.”

These were the words spoken by Washington, DC lobbyist and Republican insider Darrell Henry at the November 2016 E2Tech Expo, less than two weeks after a historic national election that catapulted real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump into the role of Leader of the Free World.

We are approaching the halfway point of President Trump’s first year in office.  Where are we now?

Henry, a partner at a Capitol Hill lobby shop, was making the point that global market forces will continue to drive energy and environmental activities, and any changes to environmental and energy policy will be gradual and measured. In other words, “there will be no return to ‘Drill, baby, drill,’ a reference to a 2008 Republican campaign slogan popularized by then Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin. Here are some of the main energy and environmental changes made by the current administration in its first 180 days:

Executive Orders:

President Trump has issued six energy and environmental Executive Orders addressing agency regulations, expediting environmental reviews of high-priority infrastructure projects, offshore energy, national monument designations, energy independence and economic growth, and reviewing the "Waters of the United States." He has also issued two Presidential Memoranda on the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline.

Climate Change:

The United States became one of only three countries to not participate in the Paris Climate Agreement. The Green Climate Fund and Global Climate Change Initiative programs are both facing elimination in the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development FY 2018 presidential budget.

The Trump Budget:

President Trump announced his fiscal year 2018 budget proposal, with all agencies except the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Veteran Affairs experiencing funding cuts.

• Proposed Department of Energy (DOE) program eliminations include the Office of Weatherization & Intergovernmental Programs, the U.S. State Energy Program (which is currently funding the development of Maine’s Energy Roadmap through the Governor’s Energy Office and E2Tech), and the Weatherization Assistance Program.  
  
  
• The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helped heat 37,192 households in Maine in 2015, is facing elimination within the Department of Health and Human Services. 
  
  
• The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed budget includes defunding multiple federal grant programs, including Beaches Protection, Nonpoint Source Pollution, Underground Storage Tanks, Water Quality Research and Support Grants, and Pollution Prevention, along with the Beach/Fish Programs, the Endocrine Disruptors Program, the Environmental Education Program, the Environmental Justice Program, the Marine Pollution Program, the National Estuary Program/Coastal Waterways, the Pollution Prevention Program, the RCRA: Waste Minimization & Recycling Program, the Science Policy and Biotechnology Program, and the Lead Risk Reduction Program.  Multiple projects within the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (Energy Star, Combined Heat & Power Partnership, Responsible Appliance Disposal Program, etc.) are facing elimination, along with the Global Change Research program, and the Surface Water Protection program.  The Brownfields grant program has a proposed 30% decrease in funding which is currently funding the redevelopment of several Maine industrial and paper mill sites. 
  
  
• The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration is facing, among others, the elimination of the Coastal Zone Management Grants Program, the Regional Coastal Resilience Grants Program, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Grants, the Coastal Ecosystem Resiliency Grants, the National Sea Grant College Program, the Marine Aquaculture Program, and the Office of Education.  These NOAA programs provide federal funding for Maine departments, projects, programs, and industries.
  
  
• Within the Department of Interior, the Bureau of Land Management has proposed program cuts for every division except Energy and Minerals Management, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement has proposed cuts to regulations, while the U.S. Geological Survey receives an overall 13% cut, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service receives an overall 5% cut, and the National Park Service receives an overall 5% cut, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has a proposed 45% increase and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has a proposed 5% increase.  These budget changes reflect the administration’s goals to increase resource extraction on public lands and offshore energy production to become “energy-dominant”.

Executive Orders:

• January 24, 2017: Expediting Environmental Reviews and Approvals for High Priority Infrastructure Projects
• January 30, 2017: Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs
• February 28, 2017: Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Review the "Waters of the United States" Rule
• March 28, 2017: Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth
• April 26, 2017: Review of Designations Under the Antiquities Act
• April 28, 2017: Implementing an American-First Offshore Energy Strategy

The 2017 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index - a data-based comparison of all 50 states among 80 technology, capital, and policy indicators - finds that Maine improved its overall ranking from 18th to 16th since 2016, and surged ahead 13 places since 2014. Data is included on clean electricity and transportation; energy intelligence and green buildings, government regulations, mandates, and incentives; and financial, human, and intellectual capital. Findings for Maine across indicators show the following: 

• Overall: In 2016, Maine was ranked 18th; in 2017, Maine is ranked 16th (improved 2 spots).
• Technology: In 2016, Maine was ranked 9th; in 2017, Maine is still ranked 9th (no change).
• Policy: In 2016, Maine was ranked 19th; in 2017, Maine is ranked 20th (declined 1 spot).
• Capital: In 2016, Maine was ranked 25th; in 2017, Maine is ranked 18th (improved 7 spots).

The U.S. Department of Commerce has been working to expand opportunities with the Renewable Energy Integration Trade Mission to Canada that takes place from October 30 - November 2, 2017.

The mission is designed for U.S. companies who are active in the Canadian market with a focus on increasing operations, and new companies ready to launch their business interests. The mission will include market briefings, one-on-one business appointments with pre-screened potential buyers, agents, distributors, industry leaders, and joint venture partners; meetings with national, provincial, regional and municipal governments; and networking events. Participating in an official U.S. industry delegation, rather than traveling on their own, will enhance attending companies' ability to identify opportunities and act on available opportunities in Canada.

As Canada plans to boost its installed generating capacity by 35GW to 170GW by 2035, strong opportunities are developing for U.S. exporters - aided policies promoting adoption of better energy management in commercial and residential buildings. 

Developing opportunities include: 

• Solar, wind, and hydro power generation
• Grid modernization and smart grid deployment
• Storage solutions for utility-scale and distributed energy

Funding Opportunities Coming Soon: A $50 million Research & Development bond issue passed the statewide referendum on June 13 with 62% support. Of that $50 million, $45 million will go into the Maine Technology Institute managed Maine Technology Asset Fund, while $5 million will go to the Maine Venture Fund. The funds are to be used for infrastructure, equipment, and technology upgrades that enable organizations to gain and hold market share, to increase revenues, and to expand employment or preserve jobs for Maine people. Maine currently spends only about 1 percent of its total Gross Domestic Product on R&D, which ranks the State 37th nationally.

Project Update: The Governor's Energy Office and E2Tech want to engage with you to develop an Energy Planning Roadmap that advances the state of Maine's energy, economic development, and environmental goals. In the next few months, E2Tech will be hosting forums, taskforce, workshop, and stakeholder meetings all over the state. For more information and to get involved, please contact E2Tech's Executive Director, Jeff Marks, at jeffmarks@e2tech.org or (207) 956-1970.

Networking: E2Tech had its Summer Networking Reception at the Verrill Dana Courtyard on June 28. Participants enjoyed delicious food and drinks, live music, and connecting with Maine businesses, government, and non-profit leaders. E2Tech, the Maine International Trade Center, and the University of Maine had the pleasure of welcoming prominent African leaders to Maine through the Mandela Washington Fellowship program. We would like to thank Verrill Dana for hosting this wonderful reception.

Look for a review of the 128th Legislative Session's first year in our August newsletter!