PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 5, 2025
Across the state, immigrants, veterans and young adults are eager to fill the jobs needed to meet Maine’s climate goals. The problem isn’t a lack of talent, it’s that the pathways into clean energy careers are fragmented, underfunded and confusing. Maine’s Clean Energy Industry Report (2024) found that our clean energy workforce has grown to 15,600 workers but must double to 30,000 by 2030. That means training the equivalent of every student in Portland High School every year for the next five years. Without a clearer plan in sight, we are destined to fall short. The Maine Department of Energy Resources could consider three linked reforms: long-term workforce planning, workforce-tied financing and a clean energy workforce trust fund. These are not abstract bureaucratic ideas; they are the foundation for an inclusive, stable energy transition. ~ Roxanne Heuschkel coordinates Maine’s Clean Energy Partnership Program at Biddeford Adult Education