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V I E W P O I N T S W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 3 F E B R UA R Y 1 9 , 2 0 2 4 From the Editor A roostook County is a hotbed for clean energy projects, including wind turbines. But with fewer than 67,000 people — or 10 people per square mile — finding workers to take on installation projects can be a challenge. Worse still, the population is older even than the state median. We dispatched freelancer Bridget Reed Morawski to find out how the challenge is being approached. Fortunately, help is on the way. Programs are being offered by Northern Maine Community College and the Associated General Contractors of Maine to train workers and create apprenticeships. e story also clears up some misconceptions about what clean energy jobs entail, given that there's crossover with other industries, including construction and technology. "I think the general public often really narrows what a clean energy workforce means, significantly narrower than it is in reality," says one workforce development official. Bridget's story, "Clean energy jobs," starts on Page 14. Heat pumps have been a growing solution to high heating costs in northern New England. Once pri- marily for home use, heat pumps are being installed on some significant commercial buildings. Senior Writer Laurie Schreiber talks to the architecture firm SMRT, which installed a legion of heat pumps on the roof of the University of Southern Maine's new Portland Commons residential hall. "ese are similar to the residential style heat pump units that many of us have installed in our homes over the last several years, but these are larger-scale systems connected to multiple indoor units," an architect tells Laurie. e story, "Pumped up on heat pumps," starts on Page 18. e list in this issue focuses on Maine's largest clean energy companies. It is on Page 26. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz Featured @ Mainebiz.biz For a daily digest of Maine's top business news, sign up for the Mainebiz Daily Report at mainebiz.biz/enews Get all the news every day on Mainebiz.biz or by subscribing to the Daily Report and Real Estate Insider newsletters. Here is the top content from Jan. 30 to Feb. 13: 1. Two Maine restaurants bask in national spotlight 2. With deal to buy campus house, UMaine closes the book on fraternity chapter 3. Developer pauses storm-damaged Spinning Mill project in Skowhegan 4. Overall, how do you feel about the current health of the U.S. economy? (Poll question) 5. Buyer of Kennebunk B&B brings previous hospitality experience 6. Should Maine create an Office of New Americans, to assist immigrants in becoming part of the economy and the community? (Poll question) 7. Fast-growing coffee chain Aroma Joe's relocates HQ to the Downs in Scarborough 8. After years of waiting — in traffic — plans for Gorham turnpike spur are unveiled 9. For some Oxford Casino customers, lucky break was a $15M email mistake 10. Westbrook residential development is nation's first to use TimberHP's insulation P H O T O / E A R T H AT H I D D E N P O N D 1 Maine is coming up with solutions to long-term energy challenges. bernsteinshur.com Meet David. With decades of experience in the renewable energy industry, David helps his clients navigate complex regulatory frameworks to complete their most critical projects. We're attorneys. But we're people first. David Littell, Attorney and Shareholder Maine's clean energy sector is growing fast — and cultivating a labor force

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