The Honorable Susan Collins The Honorable Angus K. King 413 Dirksen Senate Office Building 133 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Chellie Pingree The Honorable Jared Golden 2162 Rayburn House Office Building 1222 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515

June 24, 2021

Dear Senator Collins, Senator King, Congresswoman Pingree, and Congressman Golden:

We, the 73 undersigned businesses, organizations, and municipalities, support the proposed federal infrastructure investment plan that would provide substantial benefits for Maine people, our economy, and environment.

The American Jobs Plan would create new good-paying jobs, repair aging infrastructure, reduce pollution that harms our health, and expand clean energy development—with focused investment in rural and underserved communities. The benefits from this infrastructure plan would be transformational, giving Maine the chance to recover from the pandemic stronger while providing dividends for decades to come.

  • Provide Long-Lasting Benefits to Maine People and Communities: This infrastructure  plan would help eliminate lead in drinking water pipes, bring high speed broadband  internet to rural Maine, lower energy costs for homeowners and businesses, repair roads  and bridges, improve public transit options, expand the affordability of electric cars and  trucks, promote energy independence and electrical grid reliability, clean up Maine’s  rivers, lakes, and ocean waters, redevelop contaminated sites, protect and restore  nature-based infrastructure, and much more.
  • Address Longstanding Underinvestment in Aging Infrastructure: Maine has the sixth worst bridge infrastructure in the nation, ranks 43rd in the nation in statewide broadband access, spends less on public transit per capita than 37 other states, has some of the oldest housing stock in the country, and is estimated to dump half a billion gallons of raw sewage into our rivers and oceans annually due to persistent sewage overflow events.  The need to invest in our aging infrastructure is great. This plan provides an historic opportunity to do just that while creating good jobs and improving the lives and livelihoods of Maine people statewide.

As Mainers representing a wide range of interests, we urge you to support a federal infrastructure investment plan to create a better future for Maine by creating new jobs, supporting our economy, making our communities healthier, and putting Maine on track to meet our climate goals.

Sincerely,

Agilitas Energy 

Jeffrey Perry, Vice President

Statewide 

Aroostook Partnership 

Paul Towle, President

Caribou, ME 

Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce 

Jessie Perkins, Executive Director

Bethel, ME 

Bicycle Coalition of Maine 

Jean Sideris, Executive Director

Portland, ME 

Biomass Power Association 

Carrie Annand, Executive Director

Portland, ME 

Broadturn Farm 

Stacy Brenner, Co-owner

Scarborough, ME 

City of Presque Isle 

Galen Weibley, Director of Economic Development

Presque Isle, ME 

Cleantech Adoption LLC 

Jim Walker, Founder and Principal

Yarmouth, ME 

Coastal Enterprises, Inc. 

Laura Buxbaum, SVP

Brunswick, ME 

Defend Our Health 

Sarah Woodbury, State Advocacy Director

Portland, ME 

Dirigo Solar, LLC 

Robert Cleaves, Co-Founder

Portland, ME 

Dooryard Farm 

Cooper Funk, Owner

Camden, ME 

Educate Maine 

Jason Judd, Executive Director

Portland, ME 

 

EnergyWise, LLC 

James Beaulieu, Owner

Falmouth, ME 

 

Fork Food Lab 

Bill Seretta, Executive Director

Portland, ME 

 

Gateway Community Services of Maine

Safiya Khalid, Program Manager

Lewiston, ME 

GrandyOats 

Aaron Anker, Owner/CEO

Hiram, ME 

Greater Portland Landmarks 

Sarah Hansen, Executive Director

Portland, ME 

GrowSmart Maine 

Nancy E Smith, Executive Director

Augusta, ME 

Katahdin Analytical Services 

Michael Flanders, President

Scarborough, ME 

Lake Stewards of Maine 

Roberta Hill, Ecologist

Auburn, ME 

Lamey-Wellehan 

Jim Wellehan, Chairman

Auburn, ME 

Larkspur Design, LLC 

Seana Cullinan, Owner

Portland, ME 

Leaf & Caul Farm 

Cassie Seawell, Co-owner

Washington, ME 

Love Point Oysters 

Ben Hamilton, Co-owner

Harpswell, ME 

 

 

 

Maine Affordable Housing Coalition

Greg Payne, Director

Portland, ME 

Maine AFL-CIO 

Adam Goode, Legislative and Political Director

Augusta, ME 

Maine Alliance for Smart Growth 

Nancy E Smith, Program Lead

Augusta, ME

 

Maine Association for the Education of Young  Children 

Tara Williams, Executive Director

Augusta, ME 

Maine Association of Planners 

Jared Woolston, Executive Board

Augusta, ME 

Maine Broadband Coalition 

Andrew Butcher, Executive Director

Statewide 

Maine Children’s Alliance 

Stephanie Eglinton, Executive Director

Augusta, ME 

Maine Community Action Partnership Megan Hannan, Executive Director

Statewide 

On behalf of:  

Aroostook County Action Program

Community Concepts, Inc

Downeast Community Partners

Kennebec Valley Community Action

Program

Penquis Community Action Program

The Opportunity Alliance

Waldo Community Action Partners

Western Maine Community Action

York County Community Action Corp

Maine Community College System 

David Daigler, President

Statewide 

Maine Conservation Voters 

Maureen Drouin, Executive Director

Augusta, ME 

Maine Council on Aging 

Jess Maurer, Executive Director

Brunswick, ME 

Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition 

Mufalo Chitam, Executive Director

Portland, ME 

Maine Preservation 

Tara Kelly, Executive Director

Yarmouth, ME 

Maine Public Health Association 

Rebecca Boulos, Executive Director

Portland, ME 

 

Maine Renewable Energy Association

Jeremy Payne, Executive Director

Augusta, ME 

 

Maine Water Utlities Association

Bruce Berger, Executive Director

Augusta, ME 

Mook Sea Farms, Inc. 

Bill Mook, President

Walpole, ME 

MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 

Jonathan Brown, Political Organizer

Augusta, ME 

National Digital Equity Center 

Susan Corbett, Director

Machias, ME 

Networkmaine 

Jeff Letourneau, Executive Director

Orono, ME 

New England Battery Storage, LLC Jeffrey Perry, President

Statewide 

Northern Maine Development Commission Robert Clark, Executive Director

Caribou, ME 

Osher Environment Systems 

Laurie Osher, President

Orono, ME 

passivhausMAINE 

Naomi C.O. Beal, Executive Director

Freeport, ME 

Penobscot Home Performance 

Matthew Damon, Owner

Bucksport, ME 

 

Residential Energy Dynamics, LLC

Richard Karg, President

Bethel, ME 

ReVision Energy Inc. 

Fortunat Mueller, President, Cofounder

South Portland, ME 

St. John Valley Chamber of Commerce &  Tourism 

Sharon Boucher, Executive Director

Madawaska, ME

St. John Valley Technology Center

Kevin Lavoie, Director

Frenchville, ME

 

Stonigton Water Company

William Shepherd, Water Superintendent

Stonington, ME

The Breathable Home 

Bo Jespersen, Owner

Augusta, ME 

The City of Belfast 

Eric Sanders, Mayor

Belfast, ME 

 

Tilson Technology Management

Adam Quinlan, Manager, Broadband Consulting

Portland, ME

 

Town of Millinocket

Richard Angotti, Interim Town Manager

Millinocket, ME

 

Unity College

Dr. Melik Pete Khoury, President and CEO

Unity, ME

 

WaterFurnace

Amanda Steinglass, Sr., Territory Manager

Biddeford, ME

York Sewer District 

Timothy H. Haskell, Superintendent

York, ME