PROMOTING CLEAN FUEL VEHICLES, EMISSION
SAVINGS AND CLEAN AIR FOR MAINE
2022 June Newsletter
Maine Clean Communities Program Update
Maine Clean Communities Annual Survey Results

Thank you to all our Maine stakeholders for answering our Annual Maine Clean Communities survey, and congrats to our winners!

Our stakeholders made a huge impact in 2021!
GHG Emissions Reduced:
8,880 tons

Equivalent to removing 1,913 vehicles
from the road for a year!
Gallons of Gasoline Reduced:
1,594,648 gallons

Equivalent to removing 3,054 vehicles
from the road for a year!
Kennebunkport Public Works EV Ride and Drive

Check out some photos from a recent EV Ride and Drive event in Kennebunkport!
If your community is interested in hosting your own EV Ride and Drive, contact Jon Gagne at jgagne@gpcog.org
Clean School Bus Rebate Program is Open
Funding is available through the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models. The first funding opportunity is now open.

State and local governmental entities that provide bus service, eligible contractors, nonprofit school transportation associations, and native tribes and tribal organizations can apply. $500 million is available for the 2022 ESB Rebates, and the EPA may award more funding depending on demand.
Four Electric Buses Deployed In Southern Maine
Four electric Proterra ZX5 buses were unveiled in Portland. Two are destined for Greater Portland Metro and the other two for transit routes in Biddeford, Saco, and Old Orchard Beach.

The buses will cost 60-80% less to power than diesel fuel buses, and have a range of 240 miles on a single charge. 

This is a step toward a cleaner, and quieter, transportation system in Maine. 
Read more here.
Photo Credit: BSOOB
Belfast Triples EV Charging Capacity
Photo Credit: Abigail Curtis/BDN
Photo Credit: Kendra Caruso
Two new Level 2 charging stations were recently installed in Belfast, tripling the city’s charging capacity. Each station can charge two vehicles and in three hours can provide enough charge to get from Belfast to Portland. 

The stations were installed through a partnership between the city of Belfast, ReVision Energy, and CMP. Municipally owned charging stations are helping increase charging capacity for Maine EV owners. The city of Bangor is slated to install additional charging stations next. Read more here.
EVs In Maine
There are 370 public charging stations in the state, 27 of which are owned by municipalities.

  • L2 - 332 stations
  • DCFC - 48 stations

There are around 6,000 EV’s registered in the state of Maine! 
Upcoming Events
Efficiency Maine Annual Event
  • June 16th from 11:30am to 6pm
  • Freeport, ME
  • Register here

Drive Electric Maine Meeting
  • July 14th at 3pm
  • Virtual
  • Register here

Maine Climate Council Conference
  • June 17th from 8:30am to 4pm
  • Augusta, ME
  • Register here 

Police EV Webinar 
  • June 29th from 1 to 2:30pm
  • For police and government personnel only
  • Virtual
  • Register here
EV Lending Program
The Greater Portland Council of Governments has an electric vehicle lending program for municipal staff, elected officials, or other transportation stakeholders. We've recently received a 2020 Kia Niro EV for you to test out! The 2020 Kia Niro EV is fully electric with an EPA-estimated 239-mile range. If you’re interested in taking our Niro EV for a spin, send us an email! The Niro EV is available for up to a week at a time, and you can take it anywhere within the state of Maine. Take it for a test drive and see how easy it would be to make the switch!


The Kia Niro has been busy this year! Sign up today to take this beast for a spin. Use this form to reserve the Niro and as always, enjoy!
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