Inflation Reduction Act
Enacted on August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) significantly expands federal tax credits and provides funding for rebates to encourage homeowners and businesses to increase their energy efficiency and shift to qualifying electric appliances and vehicles. The IRA’s incentives for home efficiency upgrades fall in two general categories: tax credits and rebates. Updates to tax credits are in effect now and are described on this page. In April 2024, the State of Maine applied to the U.S. Department of Energy for nearly $72 million to support home energy rebates for income-eligible households in the state. Although these funds are not yet available to Maine residents, we anticipate launching initiatives this fall. The Governor’s Energy Office provides more details about Maine’s application to DOE at the following page: Federally Funded Maine Home Energy Rebate Program.
American Rescue Plan Act
Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
In January 2021, the U.S. Congress enacted the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a federal stimulus bill to aid, among other things, economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan included funding for state governments through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). Approximately $1 billion of the SLFRF was allocated to the State of Maine to respond to the pandemic and support economic recovery.
In May 2021, Governor Mills put forth a proposal – the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan (MJRP) – outlining her administration’s priorities for using these funds. The Maine Legislature approved the plan in July 2021, enacting LD 1733, An Act To Provide Allocations for the Distribution of State Fiscal Recovery Funds.
The MJRP allocated $50 million to the Efficiency Maine Trust (Efficiency Maine) to accelerate weatherization upgrades for low- and moderate-income residents, and to expand energy efficiency investment among local governments, schools, community organizations, and businesses. The MJRP also allocated $8 million to the Maine Department of Transportation to expand state, municipal, and other publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and related infrastructure in partnership with Efficiency Maine.
In collaboration with other agencies and offices of state government, Efficiency Maine prepared a series of five initiatives that incorporate both the goals of the MJRP and the federal guidelines for uses for the SLFRF. These initiatives, each designed to assist different customer segments of the Maine economy, are listed below with links to further information about the available incentive offerings and guidance on how to participate. Efficiency Maine will post updates about future offerings on this webpage.
ARPA Initiatives Administered by Efficiency Maine
- Low- and Moderate-Income Weatherization Initiative ($25 million)
Provides financial incentives to accelerate air sealing and insulation projects in low- and moderate-income residential dwellings.Offering(s):
- Hospitality Retrofit Initiative ($4 million)
Provides financial incentives to support energy efficiency upgrades for businesses in Maine’s travel, tourism, and hospitality sector.Offering(s):
- Funding Opportunity Notice for Hospitality Retrofits (Ended 5/1/2023)
- Energy Efficiency Initiative for Local Government, Public Schools, and Congregate Housing ($15 million)
Provides financial incentives to support energy efficiency upgrades at buildings owned or leased by local governments (including municipal, county, or tribal governments), public schools, and community organizations providing congregate housing (e.g., long-term care, group home, and supportive housing facilities).Offering(s):
- Energy Efficiency Initiative for Manufacturers ($6 million)
Provides financial incentives to support high-efficiency, clean energy upgrades for businesses in Maine’s manufacturing sector.Offering(s):
- EV Charging Infrastructure Initiative ($8 million)
Provides financial incentives to support the continued expansion of Maine’s public EV charging network.Offering(s):
- Funding Opportunity Notice for Rural Level 2 EV Charging, Round 1 (Ended 1/2023)
- Funding Opportunity Notice for Rural Level 2 EV Charging, Round 2 (Ended 6/2023)
- Request for Proposals for DC Fast Charging Stations – Phase 4, Round 1 (Ended 1/2023)
- Request for Proposals for DC Fast Charging Stations – Phase 4, Round 2 (Ended 6/2023)
All ARPA funds must be committed by December 31, 2024, and expended by Dec. 31, 2026.
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
(a.k.a. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law)
National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program
In November 2021, the U.S. Congress enacted the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) — also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) — to support a broad range of infrastructure needs. In addition to investments in highways, transit, broadband, clean water, and electric grid renewal, the bill provides $7.5 billion to build a national network of EV chargers through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. Maine will receive approximately $19 million of these funds and will have the opportunity to apply for additional grant funding to expand EV charging.
Efficiency Maine, MaineDOT, the Governor’s Energy Office, and other state agencies, with input from stakeholders, developed a Plan for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment (PEVID) outlining how the state plans to use NEVI and other funding sources to expand public EV charging over the next five years. The plan is available for download here.
Efficiency Maine has been contracted by MaineDOT and the Governor’s Energy Office to administer NEVI funds for EV charging. As NEVI-funded grant opportunities for EV chargers become available, Efficiency Maine will post relevant information below and on its Opportunities page.
In June 2024, the future locations of 17 new high-speed (Level 3 or DC) electric vehicle charging stations in Maine were announced as part of the State’s commitment to expand an accessible and reliable network of EV chargers for residents and visitors. The total investment in the charging infrastructure is nearly $8.6 million. Funding for the charging includes $5.7 million from National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program, an initiative of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $2.8 million through the Governor’s Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, and settlement funds from the New England Clean Energy Connect project.
Selection of sites were made through the State’s Recharge Maine initiative, a partnership among the Maine Department of Transportation, Efficiency Maine, the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, the Governor’s Energy Office, and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
More details on all Efficiency Maine EV charging initiatives can be found here.
Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Grant
Maine was awarded a $15 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program (a component of the BIL) designed to deploy publicly accessible electric vehicle charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in urban and rural areas, as well as along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs).
Efficiency Maine has announced four (4) Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) chargers funded by the CFI Program. These opportunities can be found here:
- RFP EM-022-2024 Level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) Chargers: Multifamily Buildings
- RFP EM-027-2024 Level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) Chargers: Large Workplaces
- RFP EM-030-2024 Level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) Chargers: Community Locations
- RFP EM-033-2024 Level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) Chargers: Regional Service Centers
Efficiency Maine has also announced two Request for Proposals for DC fast chargers funded by the CFI Program:
- RFP EM-034-2024 CFI Corridors: DCFC for EVs
- RFP EM-035-2024 CFI Community: DCFC Co-Located with Level 2 Chargers
