AUGUSTA – With New England facing a severe shortage of natural gas this winter, Gov. John Baldacci is asking all of New England’s governors to commit to a goal of reducing natural gas consumption by 1 percent a year for the next five years. It is just one part of an unfolding strategy to avoid electric power shortages this winter.

“Natural gas has been hit hard by the hurricanes,” said Maine Public Utilities Commission Chairman Kurt Adams. “We expect that it will be in very short supply this winter, and we are very concerned about what will happen if it is a very cold winter.”

In addition to the Mainers who use natural gas for heating their homes, 40 percent of the electricity in the state is generated by natural gas facilities. Adams said with supplies of natural gas tight across the nation, even small conservation steps could help avoid power disruptions this winter.

“Three energy-efficient light bulbs in every house in Maine would decrease overall energy consumption at its peak by somewhere between 17 and 30 megawatts,” he said Friday. “That’s the equivalent of a medium-sized generating plant.”

Adams said the region needs to plan for the worst-case scenario of very cold weather and realize that energy supplies could be disrupted. He said that while unlikely, there is the possibility of voltage reductions or even rolling blackouts if demand for energy gets too high this winter.

“This will be weather-driven,” he said. “The colder the weather, the more we need conservation.”

In a draft memorandum of understanding circulated to the other governors in New England, Baldacci said the small reduction in usage that he is proposing could produce a 13 percent reduction in wholesale natural gas prices in the region over the next five years. That estimate was obtained from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

“We think that a 1 percent reduction is doable,” said Dan York, a senior research associate with the Washington, D.C.- based think tank. “Some states in New England have already been able to reduce natural gas consumption without a major effort.”

For example, he said, last year Massachusetts reduced natural gas consumption by eight-tenths of a percent without a major campaign urging conservation efforts. He said the reduction in wholesale prices would not be immediate but should total 13 percent by the end of five years.

“What is important is to reduce consumption now and into the future,” York said. “This effort among governors is also under way in other regions, with two Midwest governors already signing up their states as part of a regional effort.”

Baldacci said conservation has both a short- and long-term impact on the region’s energy needs. He said if natural gas supplies run too short this winter, utilities will need to use other fuels to generate electricity, including No. 2 oil that can power diesel generators or serve as home heating oil.

“By conserving electricity we can help ease the heating oil demand,” he said. “We will be making a major effort, not only in Maine, but across New England to encourage people to conserve.”

Baldacci wrote all of New England’s governors as chair of the Coalition of Northeastern Governors, urging they sign a memorandum pledging to work in their states to accomplish the minimum of a 1 percent reduction in natural gas consumption.

“The most effective way to address this essentially national and regional problem is together as governors,” Baldacci wrote. “I believe short and long term action can serve our citizens by easing the impact of shortages this winter, and reducing our dependence on fossil fuel in the future.”

He said Maine will have a number of public service announcements and will work with other New England states to get the message to everyone about the need to conserve. He said there will be a major push in Maine to recruit organizations, from churches to local service organizations, to help get the message to everyone.

The governor said Friday he personally is going to help weatherize a senior citizen’s home in Chelsea over the weekend as part of a broader conservation effort he is pushing in Maine. The weekend event is being held to draw attention to the state’s Keep ME Warm project which seeks to weatherize and lower heating costs at the homes of 3,000 poor Mainers over Halloween weekend, Oct. 28-31. More than 2,000 volunteers are being sought to help stretch federal weatherization funds and reach more homes than if contractors were hired to do the work.

“I’ve got my caulking gun and some plastic and a hammer, which can be a dangerous weapon in my hands,” Baldacci joked. “Hopefully, this will help encourage others to go out and volunteer.”

For more information about Keep Me Warm, visit online: www.volunteermaine.org