Portland, ME – Today, Secretary Granholm will be on Portland, Maine’s waterfront to discuss the potential for Renewable Marine Energy. She will be joined by Senator Angus King highlighting the enormous clean energy and jobs potential for new investments in local renewable marine projects. Alongside her visit, the League of Conservation Voters launched a digital ad campaign in Portland and surrounding communities to urge Congress to take bold climate action and ensure the country invests in clean energy, high-quality union jobs, and environmental justice.

The campaign will focus on ensuring climate action is a top national priority. The ads are part of a broader effort to highlight how vital clean energy jobs are to the nation’s recovery, including transformational investments and policies to:

• Set our country on a path to 100% clean energy by 2035
• Ensure that at least 40% of all investments are directed to communities most affected by climate change, pollution and racial injustice, as well as workers transitioning from the fossil fuel industry
• Create high-paying, union jobs and support communities impacted by the shift away from fossil fuels
• Replacing all lead water infrastructure to ensure every community has clean water
• Investing in electric vehicle manufacturing, tax deductions, and charging infrastructure
• Weatherize millions of homes and businesses
• Modernize the nation’s electric grid

Support for Federal Climate Action 

National polls continue to show strong support for making climate change and investing in clean energy infrastructure a top priority. In a recent poll commissioned by Climate Power:

• 67% say the federal government should be doing more to modernize American infrastructure, while 73% say it is time for Congress to make a long-overdue investment in American infrastructure.
• When describing the clean energy provisions of President Biden’s Build Back Better Plan, 70% support the plan, including 51% of Republicans.

At the end of April, 53 Maine state and local officials, including Governor Mills, signed a letter calling on Congress to support President Biden’s Build Back Better plan and ensure our federal infrastructure invests in a clean energy future and environmental justice. They joined over 1200 leaders from all 50 states and DC urging Congress to seize this moment as our last best chance to tackle the climate crisis.