PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 1, 2025
Maine is falling behind in its efforts to hit several major climate goals, including electric vehicle adoption, green job creation and land conservation, a new report finds. The Maine Climate Council’s annual update doesn’t explicitly say Maine won’t meet its climate goals on time, but the report cites “massive adoption gaps” and the need for a “significantly accelerated pace.” It points to “political headwinds” from the federal level as “delaying necessary federal support” as an explanation for why progress in certain high-cost areas, like the buildout of new electric vehicle charging infrastructure, is not keeping pace. The report concludes that while Maine is 91% of the way to being carbon neutral, achieving the final 9% will depend not just on continued heat pump installation but on overcoming the massive adoption gaps in EVs and the expansion of the green workforce.