Governor Janet Mills has joined her counterparts from nine other states to urge congressional leaders to prioritize climate-change projects in the big spending bills under consideration on Capitol Hill.
Mills and other Democratic governors from California to Connecticut sent the letter this week to put the spotlight on green investments in two infrastructure packages making their way through Congress.
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says the bipartisan infrastructure package that recently passed the Senate and another budget reconciliation bill both contain climate-change elements that need to be approved.
Those include new tax credits aimed at decarbonizing regional electricity grids and transportation systems, consumer rebates for electrifying and weatherizing homes and investments in climate resilience.
The governors’ letter also asks for an assurance that 40% of the green funding goes to disadvantaged communities, rural areas and other stakeholders who could face cost increases with a transition away from fossil fuels.