Maine Audubon Releases Renewable Energy Guidance Tools

Toolkit will help municipalities balance renewable energy development and natural resource conservation With the tremendous opportunities provided by solar and wind energy come potential conflicts with Maine’s wildlife and wildlife habitat. Maine Audubon is committed to striking a balance between new renewable energy development and natural resource conservation. To help, Maine Audubon’s ecology and policy experts have created a suite of resources to guide developers, municipalities, and decision-makers toward realizing the benefits of renewable energy, while locating and operating projects with wildlife and habitat in mind. Maine Audubon’s Renewable Siting Toolkit is available at maineaudubon.org/advocacy/renewable-energy/ and includes: Our interactive Renewable Energy Siting Tool is a GIS map that aggregates natural resource layers (many of which are not otherwise publicly available) and other siting constraints for solar and onshore wind projects, while indicating which areas are a good fit for new development and which areas to be avoided. Model Site Plan Regulations and Conditional Use Permits to support solar energy development in Maine municipalities.