Two of the best ways to fight inflation and strengthen Maine’s economy are to get efficient and go solar. Not only do investments in efficiency and sustainable energy pay economic dividends, but they also protect our health and environment by conserving resources and preventing pollution.

Dozens of Maine businesses are blazing a trail as leaders on the pathway to 100% clean energy. The owners have made a voluntary commitment to power their own companies entirely by renewable sources like solar, wind, water and wood, with zero emissions from fossil fuel. One of the reasons well-managed businesses are on the pathway is to reduce their operating costs. Your family can join them in making this commitment, saving money and taking positive steps toward a sustainable energy future for Maine.

Using less fuel and electricity reduces energy demand, and installing solar panels to power your home or business increases energy supply. The combination of less demand and more supply lowers energy prices for everyone in Maine and strengthens our ability to withstand global energy market price gyrations.

An easy way to get started with efficiency is to visit the Efficiency Maine website for a look at their rebate programs. You already pay for the Efficiency Maine programs through a variety of fees and taxes. Why not pocket some money for upgrading your appliances?

The incentives for solar are even more generous. With the recent increases in electricity prices, it’s now much more affordable to generate your own solar power than to buy electricity from Central Maine Power. When you combine efficiency with solar power, you lock in a predictable and more affordable source of energy for 30 years.

The combined price for delivery and supply of standard offer electricity is now over 20 cents per kilowatt-hour. The price for solar power you generate yourself is around 5 cents per kilowatt-hour once you factor in all the incentives (the exact price varies depending on who installs your system and your borrowing costs), and that price will stay the same for the useful life of your solar panels, which is about 30 years.

Putting solar panels on your own property is not the only way to go solar. You can also join with family, friends or neighbors in a shared solar project. Whoever has the best solar exposure can host the solar array and share the power. If your accounts are all in one utility’s territory, you can participate together in Maine’s net energy billing program.

Owning a share of a solar project is extremely rewarding, both financially and socially. You’re helping clean up Maine’s power grid and supplying reliable clean power for your community. Every kilowatt-hour that your array produces is allocated to one of the owners, earning a credit on your electricity bill.

And if owning a share of a solar array is more than you want to take on, you can always simply subscribe to a community solar project. That’s not as beneficial as being an owner – kind of like the difference between being a homeowner and a tenant – but it will still save you money compared to paying full price for standard-offer electricity.

There is no good reason to pay someone to frack, pump, pipe and burn natural gas to produce electricity for you when there is literally free energy streaming down from the heavens to Maine every day.

Many people are worried about inflation, but you can do something positive to fight it right here in Maine. Get efficient and go solar.