Maine senator renews push for more energy independence

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Maine Sen. Angus King is introducing a bill he says will create a push for greater energy independence.

King, an independent, is calling the legislation the Next Generation Grid Resources and Infrastructure Development Act, or the GRID Act. He says it’s designed to use federal resources to support an electricity grid that’s more resilient.

King says the bill builds on his Free Market Energy Act, which he introduced in 2015 to create parameters for consumers to connect sources such as solar to the energy grid.

The newer bill would establish parameters for the governance of distributed energy resources, such as solar. King says that would provide guidance to the states and allow for more development of energy technologies. He also says it would grow energy independence “at the personal level.”