One of Maine’s most energy-intensive industries is being shut out of the state’s energy efficiency programs.
Efficiency Maine has decided that it is too risky to give its grants to cannabis businesses, even if they are state licensed, because they operate outside of federal law. That makes any cannabis business a potential federal target that could be forced to close before it can achieve the energy savings needed to justify Efficiency Maine’s investment, the trust’s board concluded.
“Don’t forget, marijuana may be legal here, but it’s still federally illegal,” Executive Director Michael Stoddard said. “I can’t tell my board that (U.S. Attorney General) Jeff Sessions isn’t going to shut them all down tomorrow. He’s got that right. He’s made it clear he’d like to. We can’t invest in a business that may not be around tomorrow.”
Top photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
