PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 12, 2024
Oil is still the dominant source of home heating in Maine, but it’s being chased by electric heat pumps in a race prodded by Gov. Janet Mills and financed by federal taxpayers, state ratepayers and other funding sources. The governor has made electric heat pump installation a centerpiece of her administration’s energy and climate policy, bringing national attention to Maine. It’s come at a price: More than $135 million has been spent over the last decade to subsidize installation of electric heat pumps in Maine, and at least $125 million more is on the way.