Senator Susan Collins deserves to be recognized for pursuing policies that support the harvesting, storage and deployment of readily accessible forms of renewable energy in Maine.
Recently, CRES applauded Senator Collins for her leadership on an amendment to the 2017 appropriation for the Department of Energy. As the lead sponsor of this legislation, Collins took decisive action on commonsense energy policy that called upon Congress to advance clean energy solutions, increase federal energy R&D investments, and to support efforts to preserve our air and climate. The amendment was also a significant step forward in the effort to secure a clean energy future because it not only explicitly recognized that climate change is occurring, but also stated that human activity is contributing to rising temperatures.
This wasn’t the first time that Senator Collins led the way on biomass energy. As the lead sponsor of S. Amendment 3140, Collins reached across the aisle to ensure the inclusion of a key amendment in the Energy Modernization Act that would require federal policy on forest bio-energy to be consistent across all federal departments and agencies. This amendment was paramount to the advancement of biomass in Maine and across the country because it contained provisions that would direct these entities to recognize the full benefits of forest biomass for energy, conservation and forest management.
Upon the bill’s passage in the Senate, Collins stated: “Biomass energy is sustainable, responsible, renewable, and economically significant as an energy source, and many states, including Maine, are already relying on biomass to meet their renewable energy goals…Our tripartisan amendment would help ensure that federal policies for the use of renewable biomass are clear, simple, and reflect the importance of biomass for our energy future.”
Senator Susan Collins has proven that she is dedicated to placing environmentally sustainable and economically sound biomass policy ahead of politics in Washington. Thanks to her leadership in promoting commonsense, congressional support for renewable energy, clean energy solutions are being put into place to help bolster Maine’s economy, lower the impact of energy consumption on climate change, and preserve the quality of our air and water for future generations.