Dear Governor Mills, Members of the Climate Council, and Efficiency Maine Trust,

We, the undersigned, request the establishment of an individual e-bike rebate in accordance with the legislation passed last year, which permits the Efficiency Maine Trust to offer rebates for the purchase of electric bicycles to low and moderate income people.

Electric bikes (e-bikes) are an effective, reliable form of transportation, expand the functional range of a bicycle, provide a viable alternative to a car for many short trips, and enable people with physical limitations to continue to be active. E-bikes can and should be part of our climate-action plan to reduce emissions from the transportation sector. Even in a rural state with challenging winters, e-bikes have already been shown to be transformative in allowing people to reduce or eliminate the use of a car. 

The Maine Department of Transportation recognizes that electric bicycles are a new and significant addition to the state’s traffic that can help reduce carbon emissions and congestion, and provide mobility to low and moderate income people. A primary strategy in the Department of Transportation’s Carbon Reduction Strategy is the promotion of active transportation, which includes the use of e-bikes. In fact, the Maine Department of Transportation has contracted with the Bicycle Coalition of Maine to provide e-bike demonstrations all across the state. They have also partnered with the Maine Department of Labor on a pilot program to provide free e-bikes as workforce transportation to people in need in the Bangor area. 

In early 2024, Efficiency Maine Trust announced their e-bike rebate program, but it is only available to organizations that serve low and moderate income and is not available to individuals. Research shows that individual e-bike rebates have been successful in many places across the country, including Portland, South Portland, and Freeport. Efficiency Maine is impeding, rather than enabling, the adoption of a transportation tool that can meaningfully lower vehicle miles traveled by limiting the rebate to organizations. 

We hereby formally petition the Efficiency Maine Trust to: 1. establish a distinct allotment within the Electric Vehicle fund called the Electric Bicycle Fund to receive a yearly stipend of at least $200,000 from the Efficiency Maine Trust to provide a statewide electric bicycle rebate program serving low and moderate income individuals, and  2. create a program offering this rebate directly to eligible individuals as determined by the trust at point of sale that will provide at least 50% of the cost of the total price of the bike and any eligible safety accessories with the maximum incentive for a standard e-bike and eligible accessories being $1,500, and the maximum incentive for a cargo e-bike and eligible accessories being $3,000.  

We thank you for your consideration and look forward to establishing an electric-bike rebate program for individuals.