Analysis: Maine’s green goals shaded by oil and gas dependence

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • January 22, 2023

Mainers are witnessing, and coping with, a historic shift in how we use energy to power our lives, where that energy comes from and what it costs. We still get 30% or so from the New England grid and from Canada. The biggest year-round fuel source for power generation is natural gas, used to generate half the region’s electricity. 40% of the state’s total energy needs are satisfied by petroleum. From New Brunswick, oil-fired power from Coleson Cove, coal generation from Belledune, and nuclear power from Point Lepreau. More than 70% of Maine’s in-state electricity generation came from renewable sources last year. Hydroelectric dams generated roughly a quarter of that total, followed closely by wind power. Biomass supplied one-fifth. Maine has bold clean-energy aspirations. This winter shows we’re a long way from kicking our fossil-fuel habit.