FAIRFIELD, Maine — As the state pursues cleaner sources of energy, Gov. Janet Mills is announcing a new challenge: install 175,000 heat pumps in Maine by 2027.
The governor unveiled this effort on Friday with students at Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield.
“Over the last two years especially, Maine people and businesses have been impacted by high and volatile energy costs, which are a direct consequence of our state being so reliant on global energy markets and big oil,” Mills said.
Heat pumps are a more energy-efficient alternative to heating oil, which six in 10 Mainers use to heat their homes in wintertime. But the high costs of heat pump units are out of reach for many low-income families in the state.
Hannah Pingree, who leads the governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, says she is working to expand access.
“We’re doubling down to make sure that moderate and low-income people can afford them [heat pumps]. And, I will say, every day we hear from towns, schools, and small businesses who want to know how they can install heat pumps,” Pingree said.
If the state can reach the goal of 175,000 new pumps, the total number of pumps in the state will rise to 320,000.
But a big hurdle in accomplishing this is communication. Joseph Dube is a maintenance worker at Kennebec Valley Community College. While he took advantage of a rebate offered by Efficiency Maine to install a heat pump water heater, he says not many of the people he knows have one.
“I’m not hearing as much as I think I would hear. It should be publicized more, I think. It’s a great program and I think most people in Maine should take advantage of it,” Dube said.
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