PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 15, 2021
I was honored to join President Biden at the White House for the signing of the most expansive investment in American infrastructure since the construction of the interstate highway system. The law is an undeniable win-win for our economy and our environment. It makes climate-focused investments to support Maine’s Climate Action Plan and will help our state achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. Since 54 percent of our emissions come from passenger cars and trucks, the bill provides $19 million for Maine to expand public electric vehicle charging. Simultaneously, the law funds measures to improve public transit options across the state and it focuses on rail transit, too. It addresses Amtrak’s maintenance backlog, it modernizes the Northeast Corridor and it creates partnership grants for intercity rail service. $2.5 billion in the law will go toward zero-emission school buses. As a Maine islander, I am excited that this bill also includes $2.5 billion for low-carbon ferries. More than $65 billion will go toward updating our power infrastructure, marking the largest investment in clean-energy transmission and grid in American history. ~ U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree