Bold energy polices are critical for Maine

The hot and lazy days of July are here, but already people across Maine are looking ahead to winter with genuine fear that they will not be able to afford to keep the oil tank full.

The reasons for the skyrocketing price of oil lie well beyond Maine’s borders and out of our control, and prices will never drop back to the levels we’re used to. This crisis is unlike anything we’ve seen in a generation, and with it also comes huge cost increases in everything from food to transportation. Like the paper mill reliant on oil for production, the lobstermen I represent are bracing for very tough times this summer, as the combined costs of fuel and bait exceed the price for lobsters.

This national energy and economic crisis creates tremendous challenges, but it also offers an opportunity to states like ours that are rich in resources and hardworking residents. Mainers are embracing the reality that we must move toward more efficient, affordable and reliable forms of energy, and our challenge is a shared one – whether you are worried about paying to heat your own home and run your business, or worried about your elderly neighbor.

As floor leader of the House Democrats, I hear from lawmakers across the state daily who are concerned about the impact of the energy crisis on their communities. House Democrats from Kittery to Fort Kent understand that the unprecedented challenge we face requires creativity and action, and have offered ideas for legislation that will help Mainers to save on costs, transition toward cheaper alternatives and create jobs for Maine people.

Our immediate concern is ensuring that Mainers are getting the most bang for their heating oil buck (or five bucks), and stretching out each oil delivery as long as possible. Maine has some of the oldest houses in the country, and we lose hundreds of gallons of heat each year to drafty windows and poor insulation. We must make it a state priority to seal up our homes. An energy audit, some do-it yourself construction skills, or a professional contractor can save you hundreds of dollars per year by fully weatherizing or upgrading the insulation and eventually the windows in your home.

Maine offers low-interest loans up to $30,000 for low- and middle-income homeowners to perform the upgrades and can even pay for oil for low-income Mainers. The state needs to increase the eligibility limits for these services so more people can take advantage of them. The cost of oil is a significant burden for Maine’s poor – but at this point it is affecting the majority of middle income Mainers as well, and we need to do all we can for Maine’s hardworking families who will need help this winter.

The demand for certified efficiency contractors is going to rise steadily. We need to facilitate more contractors licensed in efficiency auditing and weatherization upgrades – these will be good jobs with steady customers over the next decade. Estimates are that energy efficiency upgrades alone could create 1,500-2,500 new jobs and grow the state’s GDP by up to $260 million per year. As this fall approaches, communities and local organizations will also need to chip in to help our neighbors prepare for the coming winter.

In the long term, we need to concentrate on moving Maine homes and businesses off of oil and onto the energy resources of the future. Maine is uniquely situated to be a global leader in renewable energy, and we can build a powerful economy of the future in developing these resources, companies, and jobs.

We’ve taken some steps to encourage power from wind and tides, and heat from wood, solar and geothermal resources through tax credits and rebates; but we can be bolder. We need to consider a highly focused state strategy of investment and support for energy development among the most critical components of our state’s future.

Work funded by our tax dollars at the University of Maine on energy – from wood fuels to composite wind turbines – is groundbreaking and important, and it’s essential we continue this work and turn these projects into good jobs and energy for Maine. Development of tidal and wind technology is also happening across the state from Eastport to Mars Hill. And the wood pellet industry is growing rapidly, testing new technologies and offering products that emit far less carbon than traditional stoves.

Congress must boost weatherization programs, increase funding for heating assistance and direct resources toward escalating alternative energy that Americans and our environment will benefit from. We call on Washington to step up to the challenges facing our country with the kind of Yankee ingenuity and federal resources this crisis requires.

As state leaders we stand ready to do all we can to help Mainers face this challenge. We’ll work together with fellow lawmakers – and all concerned Mainers – to make sure our constituents get through a tough winter, and we’ll work to ensure the most aggressive policies to allow a bold energy future for Maine.

Hannah Pingree lives in North Haven and is the majority leader of the Maine House of Representatives.