Audience: Policymakers

The 2022 midterm elections have come and gone, and we can finally dive into reflecting on the outcomes and efforts that went into them. Major elections tend to unearth some complex feelings for me – stress, hope, and anxiety mixed with a little bit of emotional burnout. As someone who worked in the voting realm during the 2020 election cycle, I know the immense hard work and dedication that goes into building united coalitions, mobilizing constituencies (especially young people), and engaging with potential voters who have the power to influence change.
Now that we are almost a month past the elections, we can take a deep breath and a step back to conceptualize the wins, growth points, and obstacles that come with this new political landscape.

Let’s be honest, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has taken the climate movement by storm. It has created opportunities for conversations about process, intersectionality, race, and class. Whether you are celebrating its passage or mourning its shortcomings, one thing I hope we all agree on is that this can be a turning point for advocates, researchers, and funders to strengthen our movement. In order to make good on the IRA’s promises and reduce its harms, the climate movement must keep organizing to make sure communities around the country are protected and included in the fights to come.

This report offers a series of “climate jobs” recommendations for Maine. These recommendations that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution at scale, create thousands of high-quality jobs, and build more resilient, equitable communities in Maine. Regarding transportation, install 25,000 public EV charging stations by 2030; transition 50% of Maine’s school bus fleet to zero-emission electric vehicles by 2025 and 100% by 2030; double and electrify city bus operations by 2030; and construct high-speed rail to Bangor, Maine. Regarding carbon-free healthy schools, retrofit and install solar on all k-12 public schools by 2035. Regarding buildings, net-zero emissions for new construction by 2030; retrofit 50% of residential units by 2040; and build 19,000 affordable units by 2040. Regarding energy, provide 100% renewable electricity by 2035. Regarding labor, ensure high-quality, union jobs in Maine. all of this will ensure a just transition for Maine.