Oil, gas companies want to cancel rebates for Mainers buying heat pumps

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 16, 2021

After a warning from ISO New England about possible blackouts this winter, several groups are calling on New England governors to stop incentivizing heat pumps. The Maine Energy Marketers Association is one of seven groups calling on all New England governors to issue a moratorium on utility-funded conversions to natural gas and electric heating systems. “Seven in 10 homes in the state of Maine still use liquid fuels, so it’s important that we keep the infrastructure that’s working while we work towards a greener future,” Maine Energy Marketers Association CEO/President Charlie Summers said. The letter cites recent warnings that the region is at a heightened risk of power outages this winter due to constrained natural gas supplies and increasing use of electric heat pumps. “When you consider that in order to keep your home with a heat pump, which are highly efficient but they have to run constantly, which pushes energy bills up, pushes the electric bills up,” Summers said.