Governor Janet Mills and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm announced the launch of Maine's new Home Energy Rebate Program.
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The program is funded by a $36 million federal grant supported by the Biden-Harris Administration's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and will help eligible households save money on energy bills, upgrade to clean energy equipment, improve energy efficiency in their homes, and reduce air pollution.
The Home Energy Rebate Program will be administered by Efficiency Maine and is meant to complement existing incentive programs for all income levels.
Eligible program participants include low-income owners of manufactured homes as well as affordable multifamily new construction homes.
"Our transition to heat pumps is creating good-paying jobs, curbing our reliance on fossil fuels, and cutting costs for Maine families, all while making them more comfortable in their homes -- a hat trick for our state," said Governor Janet Mills.
"We are setting an example for the nation, and with this new Federal funding through the Biden-Harris Inflation Reduction Act, more Maine people will be able to take advantage of efficient, climate-friendly heat pumps that strengthen our economy, protect our environment, and save money."
The $36 million Federal grant represents half of Maine's IRA funding allocation of $72 million for home energy rebates. The remainder of the funds will be used to launch a separate program, which is anticipated to be available to residents by early 2025.
Eligible low-income manufactured homeowners (i.e., household income below 80 percent of area median income) will be able to save as much as $14,000 through funding from the Home Energy Rebates, including up to:
• $8,000 for a whole-home heat pump for space heating and cooling
• $4,000 for an electrical panel
• $2,500 for electrical wiring
Multifamily new construction projects can get up to an $8,000 rebate per dwelling unit for heat pumps. To qualify, at least 50 percent of the building's dwelling units would need to be occupied by low-income households.
After the first year, Maine plans to expand the manufactured home incentives to also include eligibility for moderate-income owners (i.e., households earning between 80-150 percent of area median income). Smaller new construction multifamily projects will also be able to apply for rebates.
Maine is the most heating oil dependent state in the nation, with over 56 percent of households reliant on home heating oil as their primary source of home heating, compared to only 4 percent nationally. ■
Predominant upper-level ridging stretching from the Southwest to the southern High Plains will allow for another day of record-breaking heat across parts of Nevada and Arizona today.