MAINE MONITOR • July 16, 2023
There have been messy fights over solar subsidies, long debates over mining, offshore wind, solar power, a high-voltage transmission line, bottled water testing for PFAS contamination and renewable energy credits for waste-to-energy facilities. That’s just a handful of the bills that passed — we also saw new laws encouraging renewable energy development on agricultural land contaminated by PFAS, prohibiting utilities from recovering lobbying expenses from ratepayers, banning the sale of certain lead fishing jigs to protect loons, and prohibiting waste discharges into the Lower Presumpscot river, as well as big changes to the way state conservation funds are managed that advocates say will make funding more consistent and self-sustainable. Here’s a look at a few of the noteworthy pieces of legislation we’ve seen so far.