Dexter receives $75,000 for town hall windows
Gov. Janet Mills announced that her administration has awarded $4.7 million in grants to 72 cities, towns, and tribal governments to support 63 community-led projects that will improve energy efficiency and help Maine communities become more resilient to the effects of climate change.
Among the grant recipients is the Town of Dexter. The community will receive $75,000 to replace 20 windows in the town hall to improve energy efficiency.
The Community Action Grants were made available through the Community Resilience Partnership, a program established by Mills in 2021 to support local governments in undertaking projects that increase resilience to climate effects and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The partnership has grown to include 308 towns, cities and tribal governments representing 81% of Maine’s population. To date, the program has awarded over $29 million for projects in 305 communities across the state.
“Investing in stronger infrastructure and energy efficiency helps communities withstand and recover faster from severe storms — saving money and easing pressure on local property taxpayers,” Mills said. “I’m proud that my administration’s Community Resilience Partnership has invested more than $29 million to empower hundreds of Maine communities to strengthen their resilience and secure a strong future for generations of future residents.”
“Maine communities are proposing innovative and forward-looking projects that will increase their resilience and save tax dollars in the future. The Maine Office of Community Affairs is pleased to be able to offer this easy-to-access funding to support them,” Samantha Horn, director of the Maine Office of Community Affairs, said.
“Municipal officials greatly appreciate the Community Resilience Partnership’s commitment to supporting and investing in initiatives that advance the State’s policy priorities,” Catherine Conlow, executive director of the Maine Municipal Association, said. “The fact that the most recent round of Community Action Grants will support 26 projects submitted by first-time municipal applicants demonstrates the Office’s dedication to making this valuable program accessible to communities of all sizes and capacities across Maine, and its willingness to meet municipal leaders and residents where they are.”
“These investments in energy efficiency, local clean energy projects and community resilience can help lower energy costs and make taxpayer dollars go further. At a time when global energy prices have been volatile, these grants are helping towns and municipalities reduce energy use, strengthen critical facilities, and deliver savings for local residents and businesses,” Celina Cunningham, acting commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources, said.
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A list of awardees is available online. Visit the Partnership webpage for more information about past awardees.
This latest round of grants is sourced from both state general funds and federal funds. The federal funding is part of a five-year grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge grant awarded to the State of Maine in the fall of 2024.
The Community Resilience Partnership was launched by Governor Mills in December 2021 as a recommendation of Maine’s climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait, to support local and regional climate resilience and carbon emission reduction initiatives. In addition to Community Action Grant funding provided directly to communities, Service Provider Grants are available to support service provider organizations to assist communities with climate action, energy and resilience planning.
The partnership is now part of the Maine Office of Community Affairs, which was established by the Maine State Legislature in 2024 as a one-stop-shop to assist municipalities, tribal governments and regional planning organizations in building a more resilient future. For more information, visit the Maine Office of Community Affairs website.