Together, We Can Strengthen Rural Maine
We believe rural Mainers have a lot of valuable ideas and, when everyone cooperates, the resources to benefit from those ideas. Together, let’s harness this wealth to strengthen our rural communities for a new generation!
Realizing Maine’s Worth: Our Community Legacy
It’s just 5%.
Over the next ten years, Mainers are likely to transfer $29 billion to the next generation. If all Mainers choose to invest 5% of their estates in community endowment funds, and if those funds’ investments generated 5% returns to benefit the community, then by 2020 these funds would supply an additional $74 million every year to achieve community economic development priorities.
That’s a big difference for just 5%. And it’s a substantial legacy that we could easily provide for the people that will inherit the communities we call home.
In an era when Maine’s government and non-profits are struggling to make ends meet, we find ourselves with a feasible and compelling investment opportunity. But we must begin today if we are to realize this great potential. What is your community worth?
Read more about Maine’s community legacy opportunity online, or download a PDF of the full 36-page report!
Farm Energy Partners celebrates solar thermal demo, $441,534 in new USDA funds
On October 2, MRP’s Farm Energy Partners network celebrated the successful installation of its demonstration solar thermal system at the Weston farm.
In addition, the USDA Risk Management Agency announced its third year of competitively-awarded funding for the Farm Energy Partners network. This FY2010 award of $150,000 brings RMA’s total funding of the network to $475,000 over three consecutive years. To recognize this long-term commitment to Maine’s farmers, Maine Rural Partners presented Bill Buchanan, director of RMA’s Community Outreach & Assistance Partnership Program, with a plaque honoring his program as MRP’s Partner of the Year.
USDA Rural Development also announced the latest round of REAP funding awards to Maine farms at the event. 11 Maine farms received $291,534 of funding for their energy projects — the largest round of REAP funding in Maine since the program’s inception. One of the newly-funded REAP projects is at A Wrinkle in Thyme farm, whose application was supported by technical assistance from Farm Energy Partners.
Pictured: Ann and Lance Weston thank Farm Energy Partners for their assistance;
later, Bill Buchanan (USDA-RMA) jokes with Marty Elkin & Mary Ann Haxton at their farm.
Harvesting Clean Energy
A program of our Farm Energy Partners network, Harvesting Clean Energy promotes energy conservation and renewable energy production.
Stay up to date with current energy-related news and programs from MRP and others by subscribing to Harvesting Clean Energy’s newsletter today! Read the September issue now.
The 2009 edition of our Farm Energy Field Guide is now available online!
The Community-Based Renewable Energy Act
Signed into law on June 9, 2009, the Community-Based Renewable Energy Act promotes the development of locally-owned renewable energy generators. The law is largely based on a bill endorsed by Maine Rural Partners, and MRP staff contributed to the concept and language in this legislation.
The Act defines community renewable energy as that produced by ventures majority-owned by local entities. It establishes a preference for the state to buy this energy whenever it is economically feasible to do so, and creates a standard “green power” option in addition to the standard offer—thereby providing consumers with this same purchasing opportunity. A pilot program is also established to directly incentivize community renewable energy.
Although this bill has already been signed into law, there will be a public ceremony to celebrate Governor Baldacci’s signing of this bill at 1:30pm on Wednesday, June 24. MRP thanks the entire Utilities and Energy Committee, and particularly Bruce MacDonald, David van Wie and Ken Fletcher, for their work to refine and advocate for our proposal.
More information, including the full text as signed, is available in PDF format.
