The Maine Climate Council has posted links to seven surveys for feedback on the policy recommendations they are considering to send to Governor Janet Mills.

These seven surveys cover the recommended policy areas of “General climate change,” Buildings, Infrastructure and Housing, Coastal and Marine, Community Resilience Planning, Public Health and Emergency Management, Energy, Natural and Working Lands, and Transportation.

Mainers value their environment and balanced environmental policies that protect and grow our economy and way of life can be good investments for our state.  However, MPBP has been closely following the work of the Climate Council, to identify areas where their recommendations could increase costs for Maine families and businesses.

The scope of the policy recommendations the Council is considering is vast: from raising prices of gasoline and diesel fuel, to zoning regulations and building codes, to allowing the utilities to remotely control when you use appliances like dishwashers and water heaters. 

One goal of the Council is to improve the technology of Maine’s energy grid. That sounds reasonable. But doing so also would allow the utility to see when you use energy and even which appliances are using it. Eventually, the utilities could be allowed to reschedule when you heat your water, for example, to reduce the load on the power grid.

As this example show, these goals have far-reaching implications that aren’t always clear, which is why MPBP has followed this issue so closely.

For example, two of the Climate Council’s Transportation goals are to reduce the number of miles Mainers drive and to increase the use of public transportation.

One recommendation on the table to reach both those goals: raise the cost of gas to discourage driving and funnel that money into public transportation.

This proposal is the Transportation and Climate Initiative, or “TCI.” Since taking office, Governor Mills’ Administration has been actively negotiating with 11 other states to design a fuel permitting scheme that will raise the cost of gasoline and diesel by 17 cents (or more) a gallon and use the money to fund public transportation and electric vehicle use.

TCI passes a regressive, hidden tax onto Maine drivers and will increase the cost of everything delivered over the road. It disproportionately burdens Mainers who either do not have access to public transportation or cannot afford to purchase electric vehicles.

It is important that all Mainers across the state weigh in on these surveys.