MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • January 12, 2025
It’s hard to name a more challenging, time-intensive and, lately, changeable policymaking brief than energy. The proposal, part of Gov. Janet Mills’ latest biennial budget, is reportedly revenue-neutral; a new, standalone energy department won’t require any more of an annual operating budget than the existing Governor’s Energy Office already has — a budget that has swelled quite a bit in recent years due to tens of millions of dollars in federal funding and grant support. The cabinet level is where this responsibility, growing in importance every year, should lie.