BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 13, 2025
Just a short two years ago, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) proved that tackling climate change and growing the economy are not mutually exclusive. The law unleashed a clean energy boom nationwide, creating thousands of good-paying union jobs, lowering household energy costs, and giving communities the tools to protect themselves from extreme weather. Now, Congress is working to undo that progress. Lawmakers passed, and President Donald Trump signed, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill.” More like the “Big Ugly Bill,” instead of lowering costs like clean energy does, this bill drives them up. It’s nothing more than a Republican rate hike on everyday people. This legislation guts the very programs that made the IRA such a success. The result will be higher home energy bills, lost jobs, and weaker competitiveness for Maine businesses, all while handing out tax breaks to billionaires and polluting oil and gas companies. ~ Nicholas Janzen, Maine Conservation Voters, and Francis Eanes, Maine Labor Climate Council