Senators Collins, King Announce $300,000 to Support Maine’s Lumber Industry

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Senator Angus King announced that Maine Woods Company in Portage will receive $300,000 through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) implementation grant program. This grant award will allow the Maine Woods Company to install an energy efficient steam turbine and warehouse-heating system, allowing the lumber manufacturer to lower its overall energy footprint.

“Modernizing technology in Maine’s lumber industry is critical to ensuring the long-term sustainability of an industry that is central to both Maine’s economy and heritage,” said Senator Collins. “I am pleased that the Maine Woods Company will be able to enhance its operations with this funding.”

“Maine’s forest products industry has always welcomed innovations to make their work stronger and more efficient,” said Senator King. “This new grant funding will empower Maine Woods Company to modernize its operations and produce lumber in a cleaner way. I am proud to support Maine’s small forest products businesses that are working diligently to update their operations and infrastructure and write a new chapter in their long-term success stories.”

The DOE’s IAC implementation grants support projects that seek to modernize the facilities of small and medium-sized manufacturers with improved energy efficiency, enhanced cybersecurity, and increased use of advanced manufacturing technologies to reduce waste and pollution. Funding for the IAC grant program comes through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Senator Collins was part of the core group of 10 Senators who negotiated the text of that bill.

###