“The World is on fire. I want you to panic.” Greta Thornburg
The Mills Administration today welcomed a series of Executive actions taken by President Biden to address the global threat of climate change. Since taking office, Governor Mills has committed Maine to transitioning to a clean energy economy, and carbon neutral future, goals which align with the President’s actions.
Among other actions, the President signed an Executive Order that established the National Climate Task Force, an assembly of leaders from across 21 federal agencies and departments, to enable a whole-of-government approach to combat the climate crisis. Governor Mills and the Legislature last year enacted bipartisan local and state elected officials and engaged citizens, to develop a plan to protect Maine people and communities and to spur economic growth in the fight against climate change.
In outlining his Executive Order, President Biden also set a net-zero economy by 2050 in the US achieved by transitioning American workers to good-paying, clean energy jobs. Last month, the Maine Climate Council released its plan to reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality in Maine by 2045, a goal set by Governor Mills before the United Nation’s General Assembly in 2019. Secretary John Kerry, President Biden’s special envoy for climate, passed the plan, saying “Maine is going to be ahead of the curve and get the job done for us and help set an example for every other state.”
“The initiatives announced today by the Biden-Harris Administration signal the return of the United States as a global leader on climate and Federal government as an ally to states like Maine that are already taking bold steps to protect our planet,” said Governor Janet Mills, in a press release issued by her office today. “Maine won’t wait to curb greenhouse gas emissions, to expand our use of renewable energy, to encourage investment in energy efficiency, weatherization and clean energy innovation, or to protect Maine people…”
“Maine spends more than $4 billion a year on out of state fossil fuels. By powering our grid with homegrown, clean energy, we can keep more of that money in Maine, ensuring the resilience of our communities, creating good-paying jobs and fighting climate change,” said Dan Burgress, Director of the Governor’s Energy Office. “The President’s executive orders announced today align with Maine’s nation-leading target of 80% renewable energy powering our state by 2030 and with the Governor’s goal of creating 30,000 jobs in Maine’s clean energy and energy efficiency fields by 2030.”