LEWISTON, Maine — High-ranking officials with the Biden administration visited Maine on Wednesday to celebrate construction investments throughout the state with the aim to create more jobs and lessen carbon emissions.
U.S. General Services Administration Administrator Robin Carnahan spoke during a news conference Wednesday in Lewiston about work being done through the agency as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
According to GSA data, $300 million has been sent to Maine to help modernize facilities as part of the federal initiative.
"We so far have spent nearly half a billion dollars of the IRA money that we've received to do these improvements to federal buildings," Carnahan said. "We know that's going to create nearly 10,000 jobs, and that's just GSA projects."
About $80 million of clean construction work is also in play for several federal buildings and land ports of entry in Maine. Each project aims to use lower carbon materials and leave buildings with lesser energy consumption overall, which is something leaders say will lead to reduced costs over time.
The event was hosted at the International Brotherhood of Electrician Workers Local 567 Training Center in Lewiston.
"Organized labor helped build this country, and that's why we're doing everything we can to help support our brothers and sisters in unions," Carnahan said.
Those in attendance Wednesday said they were feeling grateful for the ongoing projects, as it offers the promise for more construction jobs for certain areas in Maine.
"Upwards of $80 million to the state of Maine for construction projects," Jayson Queen, an attendee of the event who is also working on one of the projects, said. "It's well-needed in the state, and it's going to put a lot of people to work."