PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 7, 2024
Lawmakers have scaled back an ambitious proposal to limit natural gas expansion in Maine, instead advancing a compromise that would require a trio of state studies about its use. The PUC would have a framework for its oversight of future investments by gas utilities. The Governor’s Energy Office would study the use of natural gas in meeting energy needs of the residential, commercial, institutional, industrial and power generation sectors and in employing Maine workers. And, if the measure passes, a commission of legislators, representatives of various industries, organized labor and others would be formed to establish a framework for a “just and equitable transition” for workers affected by state energy policies and goals.