The State of Maine is on track to be carbon neutral before a self-imposed deadline of 2045; other climate goals are progressing but less aggressive than Maryland.
Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection recently released its 10th Report on Progress toward Greenhouse Gas (GHG) goals. The report details that the state is 91 percent of the way to becoming carbon neutral by 2045 and has cut emissions by 10 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. The state has consistently been able to cut emissions by 10 percent per year since 2016. Next, Maine’s leaders are aiming to cut emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.
For Comparison – Maine vs. Maryland
- Population:
- Maine – 1.385 million residents
- Maryland – 6.165 million residents
- Size:
- Maine – 35,385 mi²
- Maryland – 12,407 mi²
- Major Electricity Sources:
- Maine – Approx. 965,000 MWh
- Petroleum 3000 MWh
- Natural Gas 240,000 MWh
- Coal 3000 MWh
- Hydroelectric 285,000 MWh
- Nonhydroelectric Renewables 434,000 MWh
- Maryland – Approx. 1,933,000 MWh
- Natural Gas 778,000 MWh
- Coal 85000 MWh
- Nuclear 726,000 MWh
- Hydroelectric 199,000 MWh
- Nonhydroelectric Renewables 145,000 MWh
- Maine – Approx. 965,000 MWh
For comparison, Maryland is four times the size of Maine in terms of population, about a third of the land mass, and consumes more than double the amount of electricity.
Similar Maryland Goals
During the 2022 legislative session, Maryland passed the Climate Solutions Now Act, which established several ambitious goals for reducing the state’s climate impact. Specifically, the state is working to reduce statewide GHG emissions by 60% from 2006 levels by 2031 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2045. It is estimated that current policies as of 2023 will reduce emissions by 51% by 2031. Leaders within the administration, General Assembly, and county governments are working on policy options to help meet all the state’s climate goals established both in the Climate Solutions Now Act and by other actions.
