PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 8, 2025
Gov. Janet Mills wants to create a new state department of energy to better manage Maine’s infrastructure and supply issues and to help residents access affordable and reliable energy. The proposal would elevate the Governor’s Energy Office to a Cabinet-level department if approved by lawmakers as part of the two-year budget, and would have no additional cost or impact on the state budget, the governor’s office said. In recent years, the Maine Legislature has expanded the responsibilities of the Energy Office, and the office has worked to secure more than $200 million in federal funding to support grid resilience and innovation, energy efficiency, and workforce development, among other investments for Maine. Elevating the office to a Cabinet-level position would be commensurate with those responsibilities, Mills said.