Dear Friend,
 

Recharge Maine will host a lunch-hour webinar on October 4th to celebrate National Drive Electric Week, and registration is now open! Whether you’re considering switching to an EV or are interested in learning about Maine’s transition to electric transportation, this session will provide valuable information about Maine's EV landscape.

The webinar will include:

• An overview of Maine’s ongoing efforts to expand EV charging

• Updates from the Maine Department of Transportation on EV-related state initiatives

• Information on financial incentives for EVs and charging stations

• Testimonials from real Maine EV drivers, including Chuck Hayward from Revision Energy

• Opportunity for audience Q&A

Presenters include Joyce Taylor, chief engineer for the Maine Department of Transportation, and Hogan Dwyer, program manager at Efficiency Maine.

In case you missed the EPA announcement last week, the current round of EPA Clean School Bus Rebate Program funds includes $965M in funding! 

Applicants must submit all materials by January 9th, 2025, at 4:00 PM ET through the Applicant Dashboard. All applicants must submit one or more supplemental forms: School District Approval Certification, School Board Awareness Certification, and/or Utility Partner Template.

Deadline extended to Oct. 15th!

Climate&Me, our youth-focused climate action initiative, welcomes artwork submissions from Maine children and youth between the ages of 9 and 22.

Create work using one of these three themes:

1. Climate solutions

2. Resilient Maine

3. Envisioning Maine's Climate Future

Selected artists will be included in the updated Maine Won't Wait climate action plan's printed and online versions and featured on the Maine Won't Wait website and social media channels.

Use the links below to share the extended deadline for this challenge with interested students, parents, and educators.

We also recently wrapped up our run of Maine Climate Council public meetings in Biddeford, and what a joy it was to see so many University of New England students in attendance!
 

These undergraduates studying environmental science, marine science, and climate change put their knowledge to practice. They provided excellent input to the Maine Climate Council as it continues its work to update Maine Won’t Wait. Maine’s students are essential to climate planning, and we were so thankful for their energy and expertise during this meeting!

Below are some upcoming youth engagement opportunities that our Youth Engagement Coordinator, Abigail Hayne, will attend in October.

• Oct 8th | Youth Climate Action Symposium, Brunswick

• Oct 10th | Climate&Me Talk at Bowdoin College

• Oct 24th |  Cheverus High School Climate Teach-In

Applications are now open for the next round of Community Action and Service Provider Grants through the Community Resilience Partnership, and we have some exciting updates to share as well!

1.    Increased Funding and Max Awards: With additional funding from Governor Mills and the Legislature, plus new Federal funds through an historic climate resilience grant to the State received earlier this year, the Partnership will make up to $8 million available in its next grants round and increase the maximum community action grant award from $50,000 to $75,000 for individual community grants, and $125,000 to $175,000 for joint community grants. 

2.    This round of community action grants is open to all enrolled communities to apply. Communities with past and current grant projects are eligible to receive a grant award. Enrollment can be completed simultaneously with application submission. A full list of enrolled communities can be found here.

3.    New Service Provider Funding Track. In addition to the regular community enrollment grant for Service Providers, a new grant track has been added for Service Providers to apply to complete vulnerability assessments for enrolled and enrolling communities. 

The Partnership website provides more information about these grant opportunities, eligible actions for no-match grant projects, application criteria, and more.
 

The Energy Efficiency Planning for Rural Communities (EEPRC) program is a special, one-time technical assistance offering through the Community Resilience Partnership. The purpose of the EEPRC program is to support Maine communities with energy efficiency planning for publicly owned buildings through energy audits, energy benchmarking trainings and support, and energy conservation plans.  

• The application deadline is October 4th, 2024.

• An informational webinar was held on September 5th. View the recording or download the slides to learn more. 

• For more information on the Energy Efficiency Planning for Rural Communities program, refer to the Efficiency Planning for Rural Communities Program Statement.
   

Governor Mills Invites Maine Businesses to Apply for 2024 Governor's Award for Business Excellence

Governor Janet Mills recently announced that the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) is accepting applications for the annual Governor’s Award for Business Excellence (GABE).  Since 1991, the award has recognized and celebrated Maine businesses with a high level of commitment to their community and employees, as well as exemplary performance in the manufacturing or service professions. 

Applications are being accepted by the Dept. of Economic & Community Development through Friday, October 18.

Categories include:            

• The Innovation Award, which celebrates and recognizes business excellence through entrepreneurship and innovation. 

• The Rural Revitalization Award, which recognizes contributions to the revitalization and growth of Maine’s rural regions. 

• The Heritage Industry Award, which recognizes and celebrates business excellence in the agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, or marine sector. 

• The Climate Leader Award, which recognizes business leadership, innovation, or excellence in mitigating climate risks or developing new technologies to combat climate change.

Last month, before the Maine Climate Council's September 25th meeting, we spoke to Gianluca Yornet De Rosas, Inez Lombardo, and Denise Cilley, who previously participated in the Mitchell Center’s focus groups.

We asked them to share the ways they experience climate policy in their daily lives, and this is what they had to say. 

September 25-29 was recognized as Maine Food Waste Awareness Week. To bring attention to the impacts on climate, the University of Maine led a first-of-its-kind food waste study with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection that shines a light on where food is wasted in Maine. 

• Oct 4, 2024 | 12-1pm: Charging Ahead: Maine's EV Landscape

• Oct 16, 2024 | 12 - 1pm: Maine Climate Council Emissions Modeling Webinar

• Oct 23, 2024 | 9am - 12pm: Maine Climate Council

• Nov 21, 2024 | 9am - 5pm: Maine Climate Council

For more information about the Maine Climate Council, its members, and upcoming meetings, please visit the Maine Climate Council's website.