Opinion: Energy affordability should be at the center of Maine political debates

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 24, 2026

We need to address the cost of staying warm, keeping the lights on, and reducing dependence on fuels we do not control. Wood pellets for a boiler cost about $30.23 per million Btu. By comparison, an air-source heat pump runs about $23.88 to $34.83 per million Btu, heating oil about $40.61 to $45.17, propane about $41.39 to $46.57, and electric baseboard heat about $75.23. Prices vary, but the trend is clear: pellets are a practical, lower-cost option compared with heating oil, propane, heat pumps, and electric resistance heat. We have forests, workers, mills, pellet producers, truckers and technicians who can help keep more energy dollars here at home. ~ Les Otten, Bethel