WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, are welcoming the news of a $1 million grant to help install rooftop solar panels and twelve electrical vehicle charging stations at the McFarland Hill headquarters campus in Bar Harbor. Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the funding comes from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) program. AFFECT provides grants for the development of energy and water efficiency projects at U.S. federal government-owned facilities.

The National Park Service (NPS) at Acadia National Park is removing the existing inefficient 20,000 square foot maintenance complex, four temporary trailers and 11 outbuildings, and constructing a new LEED Silver designed 32,000 square foot facility on the existing McFarland Hill headquarters campus in the town of Bar Harbor, Maine. The delegation previously secured $33 million for the new facility. However, the current funding allocation for this project does not include the capital improvements needed to move towards a net-zero emissions building or park. The AFFECT grant will support the rooftop solar panels and the electric-vehicle charging stations. 

“Acadia National Park is truly one of America's most extraordinary treasures. Every year, the Park brings millions from around the world to experience Mount Desert Island’s awe-inspiring beauty, enjoy ‘The Way Life Should Be’, and support small businesses across our state. Affordable, clean energy is critical to preserving Acadia and all of Maine’s outdoor beauty for generations to come,” said Senator King, Congresswoman Pingree and Congressman Golden. “This funding will help drive Acadia’s commitment to sustainability forward through the implantation of solar panels and use of electric vehicles while also saving the taxpayers’ dollars — it’s a win-win. Thanks to Maine leaders like Acadia Park Superintendent Kevin Schneider and his team, Maine will continue to pave the way toward a clean energy future.”

The award to Acadia National Park is part of a broader net-zero federal facilities AFFECT project that is projected to save more than $29 million each year in energy and water costs — a win for environmental sustainability and taxpayers alike. The addition of the solar panels, sized for Maine's climate and with financial feasibility in mind, would move the building and park toward net-zero emissions by generating over 50% of the new facility's energy use. 

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