Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Resilience topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears update on Southern Maine Energy Resilience Plan; Kennebunk Light & Power invited to discuss grid upgrades
Summary
The Kennebunk Climate Action Committee was briefed on the Southern Maine Energy Resilience Plan, which finishes in February 2026, and discussed potential grid upgrades with Kennebunk Light & Power including adding distributed solar above 100 kilowatts and next steps for cross‑committee coordination.
The Kennebunk Climate Action Committee on Feb. 2 received an update on the Southern Maine Energy Resilience Plan (SMERP) and agreed to pursue coordination with Kennebunk Light & Power (KLP) and a neighboring town committee to avoid duplicative work.
Karina Graeter of the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission said the 18‑month SMERP, which aims to identify regional energy reliability challenges, is scheduled to wrap up at the end of February 2026. She reported that SMPDC met with Kennebunk Light & Power leadership to discuss possible grid upgrades, including adding distributed or rooftop solar capability above 100 kilowatts to improve resilience.
Committee members agreed that having KLP General Manager Anna Henderson attend a future CAC meeting to walk through the community action plan would be beneficial. Karina Graeter said she would check with a contact identified as Lee Jay and follow up about scheduling. A participant recorded in the minutes as "Maggie" said she would like to be notified so the Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Committee (EESC) can join a combined meeting.
Members flagged limited engagement with some municipal boards to date and recommended joint meetings with the EESC to ensure alignment and avoid redundant efforts. The committee also noted that recently passed Dark Sky–compliant legislation will require the town to adopt new ordinances to comply, and that tracking ordinance responsibilities with planning staff will be necessary.
Next steps the committee recorded were for Karina Graeter to follow up on scheduling with KLP leadership and for CAC members to coordinate with the EESC about a combined meeting. The committee did not vote on any motions related to SMERP at the session.
