Concord, NH - Today, Governor Chris Sununu issued the following statement after signing HB 1645, relative to superior court judgments; adding a bail commissioner to the commission on pretrial detention, pretrial scheduling, and pretrial services and the release of a defendant pending trial; prison privatization; misdemeanor domestic violence offenses; immunity from arrest or prosecution for certain alcoholic beverage violations; police officers reporting misconduct; criminal mischief; screening for all law enforcement officers for psychological stability prior to assuming their duties as certified officers; and prohibiting the use of chokeholds by law enforcement officers, into law:

"I would like to thank all of those involved in making this bill a reality," said Governor Chris Sununu. "This is a good first step, and I look forward to our continued work with the Commission on Law Enforcement Accountability, Community, and Transparency."

The law signed by the Governor:

• Prohibits the use of chokeholds by law enforcement;
• Prohibits private prisons in New Hampshire;
• Requires police officers to report misconduct;
• Further reforms bail reform;
• Provides funding to municipalities for psychological stability screening for candidates seeking certification as law enforcement officers

July 15, 2020

Employer relief, ensuring safety of schools and child care, broadband investment, and sustaining public health measures among Committee’s top recommendations

Governor Janet Mills announced today that her Economic Recovery Committee has delivered to her its immediate recommendations to stabilize and support Maine’s economy through the unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the top recommendations from the Economic Recovery Committee are support for Maine workers and families disproportionately affected by the pandemic, ensuring the safe operation of child care and in-person instruction in Maine schools, directing economic relief grants to employers, and sustaining public health measures. Additionally, the Committee endorsed accelerating investments to expand broadband internet service in Maine, which emerged as a key consensus recommendation given the reliance on distance working, education and healthcare during the pandemic.

“We cannot have economic health without public health. Real economic recovery requires us to remain vigilant against this dangerous virus as we take steps to support Maine people and businesses,” said Governor Janet Mills. “I welcome these recommendations, which represent a blueprint for action, and which also underscore the dire need for additional aid from the Federal government to support a more robust stabilization and recovery. In the coming weeks, my Administration will work with the Legislature and others to further examine these recommendations and chart a path forward. I am grateful to the Economic Recovery Committee for its skill and speed in delivering this important report and look forward to its continued work in the coming months.”

Since beginning its work in mid-May, the Committee and its six subcommittees met publicly more than 70 times to develop this initial report drawing from the knowledge, expertise and suggestions of hundreds of Maine people, businesses and organizations.

“I’m proud of the way our committee diligently identified the highest priorities for Maine and worked collaboratively to produce this report,” said Laurie Lachance, president of Thomas College and co-chair of the Committee. “By emphasizing the needs of Maine people and employers, we will ensure our state’s recovery is as strong as possible”

“It is an honor to lead this incredible committee during this challenging time for Maine,” said Joshua Broder, CEO of Tilson and co-chair of the Committee. “Our work is not yet finished, and we look forward to turning our attention to identifying bold strategies and targeted investments to help our state build a bridge to future prosperity.”

In addition to the Governor and her Administration, the Committee’s recommendations will be shared with the Legislature to guide action on economic recovery.

“It is very helpful to see the Economic Recovery’s Committee’s recommendations for economic stabilization,” said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development. “The Committee’s open and transparent process allowed for thoughtful feedback from across the state which the committee then could prioritize. We will begin working on some of those priorities immediately. We look forward to the next phase of the Economic Recovery Committee’s work.” 

Governor Mills created the Economic Recovery Committee in May 2020 to develop policy recommendations about the state’s economy in the wake of COVID-19. The committee is comprised of 37 gubernatorial appointees, which include economic experts, industry leaders, nonprofit leaders, workforce advocates, educators and innovators. The other eight members are four designees each from the Legislature and congressional delegation.

The recommendations included in the Committee report emerged from the work of six subcommittees, which examined the following sectors:

• Education and Workforce
• Healthcare, Nonprofits, Childcare and Support Services
• Hospitality, Retail and Tourism
• Innovation
• Infrastructure
• Manufacturing and Natural Resources

The complete committee membership and recordings of each full committee meeting are included on the Economic Recovery Committee’s website:www.maine.gov/future/economicrecovery.

July 14, 2020

Under a partnership between Maine DHHS and health care organizations, drive-through and mobile testing is greatly expanding throughout Maine

The Mills Administration announced today that seven health care organizations will collectively launch nearly 20 “swab and send” COVID-19 test collection sites that will send samples to the Maine State Lab for testing, strengthening access to safe and accessible testing for residents, tourists, seasonal workers, and other visitors to Maine.

The 18 drive-through, drive up, and mobile specimen collection sites, under agreements with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), will offer specimen collection free of charge to any individuals who believe they may have COVID-19 or could have been exposed to the virus, with or without symptoms, as defined under the DHHS Standing Order. This includes health care and hospitality workers, people of color given known racial disparities in COVID-19, those who have participated in large gatherings, and visitors from other states with a higher prevalence of COVID-19 than in Maine, among others. Under the Standing Order, these individuals at elevated risk may get tested without an order from a health care provider.

Some of the sites are already in operation, while others will come online in the next two weeks. As part of the Administration’s vast expansion of testing capacity announced last month, DHHS formally invited applications that will use federal grant funding to support the establishment of these specimen collection sites and testing of their samples at the State’s Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory (HETL).

“Expanding access to testing is critical to keeping COVID-19 infection rates in Maine relatively low,” said DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew. “Creating Maine-based testing capacity is especially important as national laboratories struggle to handle other states’ surge of COVID-19 cases. It prevents the Maine State lab from experiencing the shortages of testing supplies and re-agents that occurred early in the pandemic. We thank these health care organizations for partnering with us to continue to protect the health of Maine people and visitors.”

DHHS is finalizing agreements with the following organizations:

• Northern Light Health
• Penobscot Community Health Care (PCHC)
• MaineGeneral Medical Center
• Mount Desert Island Hospital
• Calais Regional Hospital
• Northern Maine Medical Center (NMMC)
• Promerica Health LLC

The swab and send sites are or will be available in Bangor, Brewer, Old Town, Augusta, Portland, South Portland, Belfast, Ellsworth, Blue Hill, Dover-Foxcroft, Presque Isle, Calais, Greenville, Waterville, Pittsfield, Bar Harbor, and Fort Kent. Additional mobile sites will also launch within the next two weeks. The Department is working with other organizations to stand up additional swab and send sites to improve access throughout Maine. A map of the existing and proposed testing sites is attached and the full list is below.

Some of the participating health care organizations as well as other organizations are offering testing at additional sites outside of the swab and send agreement with DHHS. For a complete and frequently updated list of all COVID-19 testing sites in Maine, visit Get-Tested-COVID19.org.

The 18 swab and send testing sites represent a variety of models. Promerica Health, a Falmouth-based health engagement company, will deploy its mobile health vehicles to underserved areas. MDI Hospital is partnering with employers to test asymptomatic frontline workers beginning July 20. Other organizations have adapted quickly to provide drive up or drive-through testing on or near their existing health care facilities.

PCHC’s swab and send sites are already operational in Brewer, Old Town, and Belfast.

"PCHC is proud to be a swab and send COVID testing site," said Lori Dwyer, President and CEO of PCHC. "Having convenient access to testing sites and relatively quick results is critical to ensuring Maine can continue its strong public health response to the pandemic and help keep as many people as possible safe and healthy."

Calais Regional Hospital is also already providing swab and send testing for COVID-19.

“Our staff worked very hard developing a process to bring more availability to COVID-19 testing to our community members and those visiting our area,” said Calais Regional Hospital CEO Rod Boula. “We know our community is nervous about the virus and the many changes it has brought, but we continue to be here for COVID-19 related concerns and the everyday healthcare needs of our community.”

Additional sites will come online over the next two weeks.

Northern Light Health expects to begin offering testing at 10 sites next week under the swab and send agreement.

“There are some additional details to be ironed out, but Northern Light Health is delighted to support the state in its plans to offer additional testing,” said Tim Dentry, president and CEO of Northern Light Health. “We look forward to our continued collaboration and leveraging our statewide presence on behalf of all our residents.”

“As the Kennebec Valley’s largest health care provider, MaineGeneral is proudly supporting our community during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chuck Hays, President & CEO of MaineGeneral Health. “We greatly appreciate our collaboration with state and other health care providers during these unprecedented times. We are pleased to aid in the reopening of the state by expanding testing resources to asymptomatic people, in accordance with the Maine Department of Health & Human Services Standing Order. Such testing will be done separate from other COVID-19 testing we are doing across our health system, starting Monday, July 20. Details of the process – including the testing location, hours of operation and instructions to call and reserve a test – are available at www.mainegeneral.org.”

“It’s an honor to be selected by the Department of Health and Human Services to assist in conducting Maine’s COVID-19 testing,” said Steve Woods, president and CEO of TideSmart Global, Promerica Health’s parent company. “Maine is our home and we view this DHHS program as an opportunity to help our friends and neighbors during this health crisis.”

While Mount Desert Island Hospital is not a traditional swab and send site, the hospital has partnered with the Downeast COVID-19 Task Force and the State to implement a new asymptomatic frontline workforce testing pilot program beginning on July 20.

“We commend the state for working with our community and the Downeast COVID-19 Task Force to pilot this innovative testing model,” said Chrissi Maguire, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Mount Desert Island Hospital. “By providing regular COVID-19 surveillance data for a subset of frontline employees throughout the summer season, this pilot will help protect not only our workforce but our greater community and our visitors as well.”

NMMC in Fort Kent anticipates that it will begin offering swab and send testing in two weeks.

“After collaboration with state officials on an initiative to expand testing, NMMC is pleased to announce we are a COVID-19 testing swab and send specimen collection site,” said NMMC COO Alain Bois. “This opportunity will enhance our ability to continue to safely reopen as well as allow for the public to make informed decisions as the state reopens.”

These 18 sites complement the roughly 40 current testing sites already available to the public. DHHS aims to further increase the number of testing sites outside of health care office settings and continues to accept applications for the swab and send effort.

DHHS will support testing of samples from the swab and send sites at HETL through an expanded partnership with Maine-based IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. Under the partnership, a new mobile lab anchored at the State lab in Augusta will quadruple current testing capacity in the coming weeks.

A recent analysis by the Harvard Global Health Institute ranked Maine fifth in the nation for its testing compared to a measure of sufficiency. Maine's existing testing activity already far exceeds the U.S. CDC recommended minimum of testing 2 percent of the population per month. In June, the state's public and private labs conducted nearly 45,000 tests, surpassing the minimum by approximately 75 percent. As of July 13, Maine ranked, on a population-adjusted basis, 6th lowest on cases, 5th lowest on hospitalizations of 36 states reporting them, 9th lowest on deaths, and 3rd highest on the percent of people recovered out of 45 states reporting.

The 18 current and proposed swab and send sites are:

• Bangor – Northern Light
• Brewer – PCHC
• Old Town – PCHC
• Augusta – MaineGeneral
• Portland – Northern Light
• South Portland – Northern Light
• Belfast – PCHC
• Ellsworth – Northern Light
• Blue Hill – Northern Light
• Dover-Foxcroft – Northern Light
• Presque Isle – Northern Light
• Calais – Calais Regional Hospital
• Greenville – Northern Light
• Waterville – Northern Light
• Pittsfield – Northern Light
• Bar Harbor – MDI Hospital
• Fort Kent – Northern Maine Medical Center
• Mobile site – Promerica Health

View a map of current and proposed swab and send sites (PDF).

When: Thursday, July 23, 12:30pm-1:30pm
Register: HERE

Please join the Tri-County Regional Black Chamber of Commerce (Houston, TX), U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), along with the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) for a discussion about export financing tools, entrepreneurial programs and services to help small businesses expand internationally and grow global revenue, CARES and COVID-19 debt relief updates. 

Discussions for this virtual webinar include: 

• Tri-County Regional Black Chamber of Commerce International Services and Programs
• Updates on SBA Disaster Assistance (EIDL) and CARES Act Debt Relief
• SBA Export Financing Tool
• EXIM Trade Finance Tools and COVID-19 Relief Measure

When: Wednesday, July 22, 2:30pm-4:30pm
Register: HERE

Are you thinking about starting a new business or purchasing one but do not have the knowledge or experience? Many people consider business ownership as an alternative to employment.

Do you have a great idea to fill a need? Are you a subject matter expert in your field? Have you been working in your industry and are now interested in branching out on your own? Do you need to know more about the ins and outs of operating a business? Do you want to take advantage of the services available to put yourself on a road to success?

The U.S. Small Business Administration can help you start, grow, expand, and recover your business. This workshop will help you start out on the right path! This two (2) hour workshop will provide an overview of SBA programs and service, and cover the basics of starting a business. Available to answer some of your questions will be SBA Resource Partners and local SBA Lenders.

When: Wednesday, July 15, 11:00am-12:00pm
Register: HERE

Join the SBA Maine District Office's Lender Relations Specialist, Joseph Stark, for a discussion of the different loan programs available through the SBA, how the programs can be used, what the advantages of SBA loans are for your business, and have all your questions answered.

Starting on July 15, 2020, the certification process for Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs) and Economically Disadvantaged WOSBs (EDWOSBs) will begin to change as SBA implements Congress’ changes to the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program (WOSB Federal Contracting Program), as put forth in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

These new regulations make it easier for qualified small businesses to participate in the WOSB Federal Contracting Program by improving the customer experience. At the same time, the SBA is strengthening oversight and maintaining the integrity of the certification process.

Once the new WOSB Federal Contracting Program regulations go into effect:

• SBA will provide a new, free online certification process for WOSBs and EDWOSBs.
• SBA will allow participation from firms certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Center of Verification and Evaluations, provided they meet all eligibility requirements.
• SBA will allow continued participation from businesses that utilize approved ThirdParty Certifiers (TPC) to obtain WOSB or EDWOSB certification.
• SBA will eliminate the current selfcertification option from certify.sba.gov, effective October 15, 2020.

We will provide regular updates on this page. Firms also can contact their local SBA regional and district office or Women’s Business Center with questions.

WOSB Federal Contracting Program certification: Timeline changes

The timeline for implementation of changes to SBA’s WOSB Federal Contracting Program has been moved to July 2020 to accommodate those affected by the current pandemic. Below are important timelines for firms to keep in mind:

• The current selfcertification process will remain available for firms until October 15, 2020, in certify.sba.gov.
• Between now and July 15, 2020, certified WOSBs must download their documentation, currently housed in the WOSB Program Repository, from certify.sba.gov.
• On July 15, 2020, firms can begin submitting applications under the new certification process for initial processing.
• On October 15, 2020, SBA will begin issuing decisions on certification.

Further instructions for the new certification process will be detailed prior to July 15.

The new WOSB Federal Contracting Program regulations will make it easier and more efficient for contracting officers to set aside contracts for, and make awards to, firms certified as WOSBs and EDWOSBs.

The new WOSB Federal Contracting Program regulations were published in the Federal Register in May 2020. These regulations detail changes to the certification process.

Please review SBA’s latest FAQs and certification options table for more information about the certification changes. To stay up-to-date with changes to the WOSB Federal Contracting Program, please visit sba.gov/wosbready.

Program benefits

To help provide a level playing field for women business owners, the government limits competition for certain contracts to businesses that participate in the women’s contracting program.

These contracts are for industries where women-owned small businesses (WOSB) are underrepresented. Some contracts are restricted further to economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSB). The SBA maintains a list of those eligible industries and their NAICS codes.

Joining the women’s contracting program makes a business eligible to compete for federal contracts set aside for the program. Firms can still compete for contract awards under other socio-economic programs they qualify for.

Women’s contracting program eligibility requirements

To be eligible for the women’s contracting program, a business must:

• Be a small business
• Be at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens
• Have women manage day-to-day operations and also make long-term decisions

To qualify as an economically disadvantaged business within the women’s contracting program, a business must:

• Meet all the requirements of the women’s contracting program
• Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each with a personal net worth less than $750,000
• Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each with $350,000 or less in adjusted gross income averaged over the previous three years
• Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each $6 million or less in personal assets

The eligibility requirements to qualify as a WOSB or an EDWOSB are fully defined in Title 13 Part 127 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Firms can also get a preliminary assessment of whether they qualify at the SBA’s Certify website.

Note: Effective July 15, 2020, personal net worth standards for economically disadvantaged individuals will be aligned between the 8(a) Business Development Program and the WOSB Federal Contracting Program. EDWOSBs and 8(a) Business Development Program participants will have the same personal net worth threshold, and funds invested in an official retirement account will be excluded from the assessment of an economically disadvantaged individual’s personal net worth in both programs.

Get certified as a women-owned small business

Note: Starting on July 15, 2020, the steps outlined above are going to change as the SBA will implement changes to the WOSB Federal Contracting Program to improve customer experience and strengthen oversight.

Before firms can compete for WOSB Federal Contracting Program set-aside contracts, they must be either self-certified or certified through an approved Third-Party Certifier (TPC). Both methods will require firms to use the certify.sba.gov website.

To apply, firms should:

1. Establish a SAM.gov profile.
2. Create a profile on certify.sba.gov.
3. In certify.sba.gov, under the “programs” tab, select the program they wish to apply for. (Please note the WOSB and EDWOSB applications are treated as two separate applications.)
4. Provide their information and complete the application.
5. Update their SAM.gov profile to show contracting officers that their business is a certified WOSB.

Firms will need to update their certification information through both SAM.gov and certify.sba.gov once a year to maintain their status with the WOSB Federal Contracting Program.

Self-certification

Note: Effective October 15, 2020, the current self-certification option from certify.sba.gov will no longer be available. Firms will have to certify through either SBA’s new, free online certification process or through an approved Third-Party Certifier (TPC), at a cost.

Firms can self-certify directly at certify.SBA.gov by answering questions and uploading documents. The information they'll need to provide will vary based on their business structure and whether they're already participating in other SBA programs. Review the preparation checklist at the certify website.

The NH Tech Alliance, NH Department of Employment Security and NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs are partnering to provide virtual job fairs in the Technology and Manufacturing Industries.

Is your NH business hiring for a tech or advanced manufacturing role?
Sign up for our virtual job fair held August 12th 11am to 1pm.

There is no cost to participate but space may be limited.  For job applicants, our registration form to attend will be launched soon, sign up for our newsletter to stay informed.

If you are a  Seacoast Manufacturing and/or Tech company that is  hiring - and you are interested in participating - please to sign up at : nhtechalliance.org/job-fair-signup-form

HRCU Awards 2020 Annual Scholarships

Rochester, NH – On July 7th, Dana Flanders, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Brian Hughes, President and CEO at HRCU were pleased to award eight local high school graduates with college scholarships. A total of 231 scholarships totaling over $233,000 have been awarded to local students since 1996.

“We are extremely proud to award these eight very deserving individuals with scholarships, as always, there was a lot of competition” said Hughes. “We are excited to see what the future hold for each of our recipients, we expect a lot of great things from them!”

Scholarship recipients this year included: Quentin Bezanker, a 2020 graduate of Spaulding High School (SHS) who will be attending Husson University; Emalie Johnson, a 2019 graduate of SHS attending the University of New Hampshire (UNH); Anthony LaBruto, a 2019 graduate of SHS attending Emerson College; Margaret Pomeroy, a 2018 SHS graduate attending Dean College; and Isabella Smith-Davenport, a 2019 Farmington High School graduate attending UNH.

HRCU also awarded Allison Files, Alex Laroche and Casey Wohlers with scholarships in recognition of their outstanding achievement in this year’s HRCU’s Banking and Financial Support Services class at Spaulding High School. The banking and finance program have been taught by HRCU since 2006. HRCU also operates a full-service branch, open to the public at Spaulding, when school is in session.

To learn more about HRCU’s Annual Scholarship Program, please visit: https://www.hrcu.org/youth/annual-scholarship-program/

HRCU is a state-chartered and federally insured community credit union that has been serving the New Hampshire community since its inception in 1962. With several locations throughout the seacoast, HRCU prides itself on helping its members achieve their financial goals through convenient, up-to-date services and a compassionate, personalized approach.

July 10, 2020

$170 million in payments to Maine for rate relief, broadband expansion, electric vehicles, and heat pumps are also accelerated

Governor Janet Mills announced today that Hydro-Québec has signed a formal binding commitment to sell electricity directly into Maine at a discounted price via the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC). The commitment will result in enough clean energy to power approximately 70,000 homes or 10,000 businesses in Maine. Additionally, as part of the commitment, Hydro-Québec will accelerate $170 million in benefits negotiated last year, including rate relief for Maine consumers and incentives for broadband, electric vehicle charging stations, and heat pumps.

Other benefits negotiated in the 2019 Stipulation approved by the Public Utilities Commission include scholarships for Maine youth, host community funds, electric grid stability and improvement, and a preference for Maine workers, among other benefits.

“I have heard people say that the NECEC will deliver power directly to Massachusetts but not to Maine,” said Governor Janet Mills. “With this new commitment, we ensure that Maine consumers access power directly from the line at a discounted price.”

“From supporting Maine-based union labor to contracting with Maine businesses for construction materials, the NECEC project has always been a good deal for Maine. With this new announcement, it just got even better,” said Tim Burgess, Assistant Business Manager for IBEW Local 104. “The expanded agreement doubles down on longstanding efforts to ensure this project benefits Maine. We're proud of the significant role union workers will have in building new infrastructure that will deliver discounted clean electricity to Maine’s homes and businesses, a huge win for Maine rate payers.”

“This new agreement between Governor Mills and Hydro-Québec ensures that Maine will see increased benefits from this project and all of the benefits will reach Mainers several years earlier,” said Emily Green, Senior Attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. “It also reinforces the importance of coupling climate action with relief for Maine families and businesses. We look forward to working with the Administration to deliver the project’s many benefits to those who need them most.”

“I commend Governor Mills for her continued leadership and ability to secure these additional benefits for the state,” said Barry Hobbins, Maine Public Advocate. “This commitment adds to the already significant stipulation that was negotiated for this project and ensures that Maine ratepayers will receive lower cost electricity as a result of this project. Maine ratepayers will also begin to see these benefits sooner which is crucial during these challenging times.”

“The Maine State Chamber of Commerce thanks Governor Mills and Hydro-Québec for delivering energy savings for Maine’s business community and the timing of this agreement couldn’t be better for Maine as we prepare for our economic recovery from the pandemic,” said Dana Connors, President and CEO of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. “Energy costs drive economic development, and this will put Maine in the driver’s seat for years to come.”

“Governor Mills has seized a tremendous opportunity for Maine to obtain far greater benefits from Hydro-Quebec,” said Robert Dorko, President of Industrial Energy Consumers Group. “Most importantly, Governor Mills has obtained a huge amount of non-fossil fuel hydroelectric energy for Maine at very low rates for a long time. This will lower costs for all while reducing climate emissions significantly. This agreement assures that NECEC will have the greatest possible benefit to Maine. Now it’s like we have our own Maine line to the largest source of carbon free electricity in North America.”

Under the commitment, Hydro-Québec will sell 500,000 megawatt (MWh) hours per year of hydroelectricity to Maine via NECEC, if permitted, at a discount of four dollars per MWh (US$4.00/MWh). To implement the commitment, the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) and Hydro-Québec will finalize either: 1) a 20 year power purchase agreement with one or more Maine Buyer(s) at the discounted price; or 2) if a power purchase agreement is not entered into, Hydro-Québec will pay a total of $40 million in installments over 20 years to an entity designated by the GEO that ensures benefits to Maine retail energy customers. The formal commitment from Hydro-Québec to the GEO is attached.

In addition to the commitment to sell power to Maine, and pending review by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Hydro-Québec has agreed to accelerate the start of payments to begin upon the issuance of final permits rather than the commercial operation date. The following are the funds to be provided by Hydro-Québec:

• Rate Relief: $140 million in installments over forty years, which includes $90 million of rate relief for retail electricity customers within Central Maine Power service territory and $50 million for the Low-Income Customer Benefits Fund to reduce energy costs for low income customers.
• Broadband: $10 million to capitalize a Broadband Fund to provide grants that support the implementation and maintenance of high-speed broadband infrastructure in the communities that host the transmission facilities. Payments will be made in installments over five years.
• Heat Pumps: $10 million for the installation of high efficiency air source heat pumps, that may include targeted initiatives to reach low-and moderate-income individuals in Maine. Payments will be made in installments over five years.
• Electric Vehicles: $10 million for the Hydro-Québec EV Fund to fund the deployment of fast charging infrastructure in Maine. Payments will be made in installments over five years.

The commitment comes after Governor Mills wrote to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hydro-Québec on March 6, 2020, to convey that, despite NECEC’s benefits, many Maine people have expressed concern that the power to be transmitted across western Maine will go to Massachusetts and not directly to Maine consumers. The Governor expressed her desire to secure NECEC’s uncontracted power at a rate that is advantageous to Maine people. A copy of the letter is attached.

The new commitment from Hydro-Québec builds on the strong $258 million stipulation negotiated last year with several parties, including the Office of the Public Advocate and the Industrial Energy Consumer Group with the assistance of the Mills Administration, and will enhance the benefits inherent in NECEC, the construction and operation of which will:

• provide economic development, educational scholarships, property tax payments, and the creation of more than a thousand jobs during development;
• suppress electricity prices, deliver rate relief for Maine consumers, and strengthen the New England electric grid to avoid blackouts and brownouts, and;
• reduce carbon emissions by as much as 3.6 million metric tons per year, or the equivalent of taking 700,000 cars off the road, according to a study commissioned by the PUC.

Furthermore, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection – through its independent permitting process – has required an unprecedented level of environmental protection and compensatory land conservation for the construction of NECEC, including the permanent conservation of 40,000 acres in western Maine and limiting the corridor’s width from 150 to 54 feet at its widest point in Segment 1.

Governor Mills directed the Governor’s Energy Office to sign onto the initial NECEC Stipulation in February of 2019.