Eliza Donoghue is executive director of the Maine Renewable Energy Association.
Maine has a long tradition of making products like shoes and paper and exporting them to the world. Energy is also an opportunity for Maine to produce an important product locally and export it to other states — while keeping the bulk of the benefits in Maine.
A recent op-ed in this paper argued that if Maine is going to produce local energy that will be exported to other states, Maine needs to see the benefits. But if Maine can make clean energy locally and receive jobs and tax revenue in return, isn’t that a win for Maine? In addition, more energy for Maine and the region can keep energy costs down for Maine people and businesses.
And the opportunity to export energy is not hypothetical. There is an effort underway in New England right now where multiple New England states could help pay for the production of wind energy in northern Maine that would be sold to states throughout our region, including to Maine electricity users.
This effort, while led by Maine, represents a model of regional cooperation, and if successful, it would result in substantial new investment in Maine that will put Mainers to work — not just during construction, but throughout the lifetime of the project.
This energy opportunity comes about because New England is a unified electricity market, and by leveraging the buying power of multiple states in our region, we are able to invest in new local energy resources that will help keep down the cost of energy in every state in New England, including Maine.
If these energy projects can get built so that Maine-generated energy can be exported to the region, the new revenues will help our communities invest in critical infrastructure; allow businesses to grow and create more jobs; and help our neighbors and their families have more money in their pockets to spend in our communities.
While a few have criticized this energy procurement because it will produce more energy than Maine alone can consume, that puzzling argument is like criticizing the production of shoes or paper in Maine simply because Maine cannot consume all of the shoes or paper produced here.
Given the high energy prices plaguing the country, it’s vital that we take advantage of every opportunity to give Maine families and businesses a much-needed break on their electric bills.
This is particularly true in Maine, where electricity prices have risen 55% in the past decade. According to an American Clean Power Association study, our region should expect $25 million to $35 million in savings annually from the construction of new wind in northern Maine — including for households in Maine.
Energy production truly does mean business for Maine. There are 16,171 clean energy workers in Maine — 3% of our total workforce. And according to a recent report from the Maine Department of Energy Resources clean energy jobs are outpacing overall job growth in Maine. These jobs are on the rise in almost every Maine county, especially rural ones. That same report found the clean energy industry contributed $3 billion to our economy in 2024 — about 3% of our total GDP.
Energy is a product that Maine can make and export. That’s a win for Maine and our entire region.