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Jym St. Pierre
Editor, Maine Environmental News

Opinion: Maine deregulated electricity 26 years ago. Time for a rigorous review.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 11, 2026

In 1997, Maine enacted legislation restructuring the state’s electricity industry. Beginning in March 2000, consumers could choose among competing electricity suppliers, while utilities such as CMP continued to deliver the electricity. The premise was straightforward: Competition would provide more choices and encourage lower prices. More than a quarter-century later, it’s worth asking whether that experiment has delivered the promised benefits. Maine should reconsider whether its current system of residential electricity competition is delivering sufficient benefits to justify its complexity. I hope this becomes a priority of the next Legislature. ~ Bill Webster, Georgetown

Opinion: The climate majority doesn’t know its own strength

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 12, 2026

Americans underestimate public support for major climate policies. Maine shows how quickly climate solutions spread when neighbors talk to neighbors. The state hit its goal of 100,000 new heat pumps two years early. Staying quiet cedes the debate to a determined, well-funded minority. In February, the Trump administration repealed the EPA finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health. Officials will keep treating climate as a losing issue until the majority tells and shows them otherwise. ~ Thomas S. Bateman, professor emeritus of organizational behavior and leadership at University of Virginia, Rockport

These 25 Maine areas could see more investment under federal program

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 12, 2026

State and federal officials this week announced the 25 “tracts” that have been selected as the next federal Qualified Opportunity Zones, a designation designed to help draw private, long-term investment to low-income areas. But parts of the state that could desperately use an infusion of investment, like large swaths of northern and western Maine, were passed over, despite being some of the most rural parts of the state.

Wildfire in White Mountain National Forest more than 50% contained

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 10, 2026

The Wild River Fire just over the Maine border in New Hampshire now encompasses 821 acres and is 53% contained, the U.S. Forest Service said on Tuesday. It’s on the northwest side of the Wild River, just west of Mount Hastings in Maine’s Oxford County in the White Mountain National Forest.

Gov.-elect Hannah Pingree announces more than a dozen key transition leaders

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 10, 2026

Gov.-elect Hannah Pingree on Tuesday unveiled the names of 22 people who will help lead her transition, vowing to cast “a wide net” as she staffs Maine’s agencies. Pingree said she wants a results-oriented cabinet of individuals with integrity, accountability and a general optimism about helping Maine people. The team of 22 will recruit and recommend candidates for Pingree’s 15 Cabinet positions. The transition team is co-chaired by Maulian Bryant, a member of the Penobscot Nation and the executive director of the Wabanaki Alliance, and Roger Katz, a Republican former state lawmaker. Among the volunteers helping Bryant and Katz to build her team:
• Judy Camuso, who led Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (2019-2026).
• Maureen Drouin, executive director of Maine Conservation Voters and the Maine Conservation Alliance.

Opinion: It’s never too late to become a Junior Ranger in Maine

SUN JOURNAL • November 10, 2026

Junior Ranger programs in state and national parks educate children, require outdoor activity, invite reflection on nature and nurture creativity. At Camden Hills, children ages 4 to 7 years old must complete at least eight of the activities. Those 8 and older must complete at least 12. Junior Ranger programs emphasize the ancestral homelands of indigenous people, natural history and more recent history. I am both a Junior Ranger and a one-time state park ranger here in Maine. It’s never too late to become a Junior Ranger. No matter your age or the time of year, nature waits. ~ Doug Woodsum, Oakland, retired teacher, a Maine master naturalist and a volunteer conservationist

Gorham farm required to reimburse customers after selling 2 invasive tree species

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 10, 2026

The state is requiring a farm to refund customers who destroy invasive trees they purchased there from from May through September. Gary Fish, a Maine state horticulturist, said King’s Farm Market in Gorham had sold crimson king Norway and flame Amur maple trees from May to September after receiving an inquiry about a project involving 11 of the trees in Rangeley. Both species were placed on Maine’s “do not sell” list in 2018 because they spread quickly and disrupt natural ecosystems. Barry King, owner of King’s Farm, declined to comment when a reporter visited the farm Tuesday and said he would sue if the newspaper reported on the issue.

Planning for Jay data center moves forward, but deal not yet final

SUN JOURNAL • November 10, 2026

A proposed $550 million data center at the former Androscoggin Mill is showing signs of life again, with its original development partner back in discussions and a public meeting tentatively planned for December. Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere told the Select Board on Monday, Nov. 9, that JGT2 Redevelopment LLC, owner of the former mill property on Riley Road, has resumed efforts to move forward with Sentinel Data Centers, which withdrew from the project in June. The renewed discussions could revive one of Jay’s most significant redevelopment proposals since the paper mill closed in 2023.

South Portland’s tank farm has been linked to chronic health risks. Now what?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 10, 2026

A report recently released by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that South Portland residents living near the more than 100 petroleum tanks in the city owned by six companies could be at a higher risk of cancer and other chronic health issues as a result of long-term exposure to carcinogenic emissions detected there. Monitors along the fence line of some of the tank farms regularly logged long-term average benzene concentrations in ambient air that exceeded state guideline. Benzene is a known carcinogen, and high long-term exposure can cause cancers, including leukemia. There is no safe level of exposure to benzene. Citgo announced that it will cover its share of additional fenceline testing and invest in technology to reduce emissions. Global Partners did not say whether the company has specific plans in light of the report findings.

No PFOS found in wildlife samples from Brunswick

TOWN OF BRUNSWICK • November 9, 2026

The Town of Brunswick, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services program and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, collected tissue samples for PFOS contamination in Brunswick. The results are in, and it's good news for hunters: No PFOS was detected in white-tailed deer or wild turkeys collected at Kate Furbish Preserve and Maquoit Bay Conservation area off Bunganuc. This was announced by a wildlife health biologist and veterinarian from Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Residents with questions may email IFWPFAS@maine.gov.

New England governors call on Congress to tack on $3B in heating aid

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 9, 2026

Maine Gov. Janet Mills and five other New England governors are calling on members of Congress to provide an additional $3 billion in funding to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program ahead of this winter. “Whether through an increase in the annual appropriation or a one-time emergency supplemental funding, these additional resources are urgently needed,” the governors wrote.

Portland officials remain at odds with rail authority about plan to move Downeaster train station

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 9, 2026

In August, the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, which operates the Downeaster, received $48 million in federal funding to relocate the train service’s Portland station to the authority’s preferred spot. City staff say the rail authority’s preferred site goes against nearly every zoning and long-term planning document in place, and that its chosen location is heavily weighted toward rail operations. The three options the council will consider are to recommend the train station be left where it is; that the city’s preferred site be further explored; or that the rail authority’s preferred site move forward, with stipulations around other enhancements in the area.

How the blue wave reached a conservative part of Maine’s White Mountains

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 9, 2026

Four Democratic pickups in and around Oxford County helped Democrats expand their majorities in both chambers of the Legislature on a night of wins nationwide. They give Maine Conservation Voters, which ran its first-ever field program in these districts, new allies heading into a session where it plans to push for limits on large data centers. The political arm of Maine Conservation Voters spent about $42,000 in the four districts Democrats flipped, part of more than $280,000 it spent on legislative races statewide. Its paid organizers and volunteers knocked on more than 4,000 doors in swing districts from Durham to Fryeburg, But wave elections always often have a way of bouncing back. With conservative constituencies back home, the new Democrats may have a hard time holding their seats in 2028.

Democrats plan to push clean energy to lower bills and challenge Trump’s fossil fuel agenda

ASSOCIATED PRESS • November 8, 2026

Some Democrats are promising to push for more clean energy to help tackle rising energy costs when they take control of Congress in January, though President Donald Trump says he will use his veto power aggressively. With new majorities in the House and Senate after last week’s midterms, Democrats can set an agenda boosting clean energy and addressing climate change. While those are traditionally core priorities of the party, climate was not a central topic in this election cycle.

Bristol solar project fined $94K for environmental violations

MAINE PUBLIC • November 8, 2026

Maine environmental regulators have fined a Bristol solar development almost $94,000 to resolve violations of Maine's erosion control and water pollution laws. The Maine Board of Environmental Protection approved a consent agreement between the state and Overlook Solar Partners last week. According to the settlement, erosion control measures at Overlook's 5 megawatt solar site failed in 2022 and sediment-laden water runoff polluted nearby wetlands. The company later corrected the violations and stabilized the site. Overlook is an affiliate of Luminace Holdings, a solar development company that is itself a subsidiary of energy giant Brookfield. Another Luminace subsidiary, Tower Solar Partners was fined $236,000 by state regulators last year for violations in Emden that led to sediment pollution flowing into the Kennebec River.

Opinion: Maine needs Hannah Pingree to take the lead on the environment

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • November 8, 2026

Mainers are grappling with rising costs; growing threats to public health; and the impacts of severe storms, droughts and heat waves. Meanwhile, our federal government is rolling back vital environmental protections. These challenges are deeply connected. Protecting our environment goes hand in hand with making life more affordable, improving public health and building a stronger future for Maine families. The governor-elect has the chance to address some of the most pressing challenges facing our communities. Here are three key priorities: First, make polluters pay. Second, ensure affordability and accountability. Third, modernize permitting while protecting communities. Environmental justice must remain central to each of these. ~ Kate Sinding Daly, Conservation Law Foundation, Portland

Column: Maine’s most popular game bird is declining in other states. Why is it thriving here?

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 7, 2026

The ruffed grouse is Pennsylvania’s official state bird, yet its population has declined so dramatically that the bird may disappear altogether. Several states have banned hunting them. Others have listed the birds as threatened or endangered. Yet Maine’s population remains in good shape. Why? Ruffed grouse require young forests, preferably with lots of aspens and birches. The buds and catkins of those trees, supplemented by berries from young shrubs, help the birds survive the winter. In spring, the chicks need plenty of insects for the protein that supports their rapid growth. That ideal habitat precisely describes Maine’s working forest. We have young trees and abundant bugs. ~ Bob Duchesne

Maine Lobstermen’s Association welcomes change in federal whale policy

MIDCOAST VILLAGER • November 7, 2026

“The Maine Lobstermen’s Association welcomes a major shift in federal whale policy following its landmark court victory against the National Marine Fisheries Service,” the trade industry group stated in a Nov. 6 news release. On Nov. 5, NMFS announced that new scientific analyses indicate U.S. fisheries may be meeting the federal standard for protecting endangered North Atlantic right whales.

Letter: Maine should be rallying behind clean energy permitting reform

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 7, 2026

New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) is now delivering clean Canadian hydropower to New England, displacing fossil fuel generation. Its completion should be a point of pride. Instead, years of lawsuits and political battles added more than $500 million to its cost — a burden that ultimately falls on ratepayers. The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act would help prevent such delays without weakening environmental protections. ~ Don Parent, Cumberland