Sierra Club Maine and its partners will host an in-depth, cross-sector summit on June 25th.

Sierra Club Maine is collaborating with its partners to host a Maine Green Bank Summit over Zoom on Thursday, June 25th from 2-5pm. The summit will be an informational event focused on the benefits of creating a statewide green bank to improve financing options for efficiency, clean energy, and other climate solutions. It will involve representatives from all sectors including finance, clean energy, Maine youth, real estate, labor, non-profits and government.       

Bryan Garcia, President & CEO of the Connecticut Green Bank will be the keynote speaker. He'll discuss his bank's programs and successes working with low-income communities, helping those with poor credit to fund projects, and overcoming other market barriers.                 

The Coalition for Green Capital will provide an overview of what green banks are, how they work, and the ways that they increase the availability of funding for efficiency and clean energy projects.      

The summit will include a panel discussion with local businesses to address market barriers that are being faced, and to help identify specific ways that a green bank can help to create jobs and reduce fossil fuel consumption in Maine.      

This is a timely issue. It appears that a Maine Green Bank is going to be one of the recommendations from the Energy Working Group to the Governor's Climate Council. We are organizing this summit to help inform the full Climate Council and the Economic Recovery Committee (as well as the legislature and other stakeholders) about how a Maine Green Bank can spur economic recovery from the pandemic in a climate-positive and socially just manner.       

Sierra Club members and activists are welcome to attend.