SPECTRUM NEWS • December 18, 2021
One year into Maine’s Climate Action Plan, officials are launching new programs to help towns cut carbon emissions and adapt to the effects of warming temperatures. The four-year plan aims to get the state to net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, among other goals in line with what scientists say is necessary to prevent the worst effects of climate change. Gov. Janet Mills in early December unveiled a $20 million Infrastructure Adaptation Fund under the state Department of Transportation. It will help municipalities and tribal governments upgrade their water systems to handle increased flooding, worsening storms and rising seas. Mills also announced a $4.75 million Community Resilience Partnership, which will open in January, to support local climate action plans, emissions-cutting projects and resilience work.