You may have heard the term “Clean Heat Standard” recently. Two of the New England States, Vermont and Massachusetts, are currently trying to implement Clean Heat Standards which greatly restrict the choice of the consumer and are not only hard to understand, but also to implement, control and monitor. In both states, it has been proven that not only will this raise prices but limit your heating options.
Here in Maine, Senator Harrington of York, has filed a bill with the Maine Legislature, LD 556, called An Act to Preserve Heating and Energy Choice by Prohibiting a Municipality from Prohibiting a Particular Energy System or Energy Distributor. This bill will ensure that you continue to choose your supplier and products from an open market.
Maine Energy Marketers President & CEO, Charles Summers, Jr sums it up; “The purpose of this bill is to ensure that Mainers will always have the ability to choose the type of energy, equipment, and vehicles that best suit their individual needs, be they: wind, solar, oil, propane, wood, electric, natural gas, heat pumps, or new energy that may become available as well as vehicles with internal combustion engines.”
In these times of raising costs, and increasing uncertainty, please take the time to research and understand what this bill is about, and what is happening in neighboring New England States. Reach out to your State and Local representatives and make your voice heard and protect your right to choose.
Read Senator Harrington’s bill here.
A similar bill was filed in 2023, also by Senator Harrington, LD 894, and was defeated in the House vote that followed party lines.