WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King wrote to the leaders of the Senate Finance Committee, urging them to include language from the Biomass Thermal Utilization (BTU) Act in any tax extender legislation. The BTU Act is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would help promote the many economic and environmental benefits that biomass thermal energy provides by qualifying biomass heating equipment for renewable energy tax credits. “Many regions of the United... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today applauded the announcement that OTM Holdings, LLC (OTM) has purchased the Old Town pulp mill complex with plans to redevelop the site and spur economic development in Penobscot County. “The planned redevelopment of the Old Town Mill will bolster Maine’s rural economy by encouraging growth and helping to create jobs,” Senators Collins... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today introduced the Next Generation Grid Resources and Infrastructure Development (GRID) Act. The legislation would encourage energy independence, foster innovation, and leverage federal resources to support a more resilient 21st century electricity grid through the use of distributed energy resources (DER). The legislation builds off the Free Market Energy Act, introduced... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today applauded the U.S Department of Energy (DOE) decision to select the University of Maine as a regional Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Technical Assistance Partnership (TAP) program designee. The announcement includes $25 million in DOE funding, which will be disbursed over five years to eight new CHP TAP designees, including the University of Maine. The funding aims to advance the installation of cost-effective, highly... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to input from leaders of the forest products industry at the October U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee field hearing at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Support Act, legislation that would help sustain and strengthen rural industries and create jobs by reauthorizing the CHP technical assistance partnership (TAP), which sunset in September of this year. The bill... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the U.S. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), today spoke out against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge during an ENR Committee business meeting. The legislation considered before the committee today would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish and administer an oil and gas program in the Coastal Plain within the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a $1,579,000 loan to Fox Islands Electric Cooperative through USDA Rural Development’s Electric Program to support the communities on Vinalhaven and North Haven. Fox Islands Electric Cooperative will use the funds to improve five miles of electric line and make other system improvements. Fox Islands Electric Cooperative is a utility cooperative that... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), members of both the Senate Intelligence and Energy and Natural Resources Committees, today applauded the introduction of the Securing Energy Infrastructure Act in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) and John Carter (R-TX). The bipartisan legislation serves as a companion bill to legislation introduced by Senators King and Risch and aims to examine solutions to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today announced his support for the Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act of 2017, bipartisan legislation that would establish an investment tax credit (ITC) for business and home use of energy storage. The proposed tax incentives are modeled on the current ITCs for solar energy and would apply to either large, grid-connected energy storage systems or... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) today announced that the Western Governors’ Association, a bipartisan group of 19 governors from Western states and 3 governors from Western U.S. territories, has endorsed the Securing Energy Infrastructure Act. The bipartisan legislation, introduced by the Senators earlier this year, seeks to protect America’s electric grid from cyber-attacks. The WGA expressed their support in a letter earlier this... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, and Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $303,037 to the Maine Public Utilities Commission. The grant, which is funded through THUD, was awarded by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded $445,041 to Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay. The award will help fund a project titled, “Microbial Activity in the Crustal Deep Biosphere.” “The health of our oceans is essential not only to Maine’s fishing industry, but to the entire global ecosystem,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) along with U.S. Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) today introduced the Biomass Thermal Utilization Act of 2017, legislation that incentivizes the development of biomass as an affordable, clean, and home-grown source of energy. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Oreg.) are also original sponsors of the bill. ... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that he has introduced two bipartisan pieces of legislation that would help identify and eliminate bureaucratic hurdles standing in the way of Maine’s ability to more effectively utilize hydro as a source of energy. The Exemptions for Small Dams Act would allow for certain dams to qualify for expedited license exemptions, thereby helping ensure that dams – like many in Maine that produce home-grown, clean... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As energy companies continue their push to expand the export of natural gas, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced legislation to ensure that any exports would not hurt people or businesses across Maine by jeopardizing America’s competitive advantage and driving up energy prices. More specifically, the Natural Gas Consumer Protection Act would require the Department of Energy (DOE) to consider the effect that any natural gas export proposal would have... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing on the Securing Energy Infrastructure Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) that aims to protect America’s electric grid from cyber-attacks. Senator King, a member of both the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee, spoke in favor of the bill, which also garnered support from... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today favorably reported the nominations of Governor Rick Perry for Secretary of Energy and Congressman Ryan Zinke for Secretary of the Interior to the full Senate for its consideration. Senator King released the following statement: “While I do not agree with some of the positions held by Governor Perry and Congressman Zinke, after meeting with both of them... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King applauded Paul Dest, the Director of the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, for being one of only two people across the country to be awarded the 2016 Dr. Nancy Foster Habitat Conservation Award by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Senators wrote a letter supporting Mr. Dest’s nomination for the award. “We are proud and excited that Paul Dest has... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today congratulated Robin Alden of Stonington, a former Commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, on being named a “Champion of Change for Sustainable Seafood” by the White House. Robin is one of 12 people from across the country to receive the award, which recognizes local leaders who have devoted themselves to helping the United States become a global leader in sustainable seafood management.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and eleven of his colleagues have called on the Department of Energy to put the brakes on new liquefied natural gas exports. In a letter to Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, Senator King urged the Department to slow its approval process for LNG exports until the full impacts of currently approved exports are realized. In recent years, the Energy Department has ratcheted up the rate at which liquefied natural gas (LNG) is exported to... Continue Reading »
