AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine’s recent shift to emphasizing rebates for large heat pump systems in homes received little publicity, but both Gov. Janet Mills and oil companies are concerned that one major requirement could pose safety problems.
The dispute between Efficiency Maine, the quasi-state agency that runs energy savings programs, and the Maine Energy Marketers Association, an industry group for heating oil and propane companies, is over one point listed in the new rebate guidelines saying fossil-fuel boilers must be “disabled” or connected only to a generator to get the biggest rebates.
This is notable because heat pumps are often adopted with the promise that homeowners can retain their existing system as a backup heat source. Heat pumps are also key to Mills’ energy goals. The Democratic governor has worked closely with Efficiency Maine on incentives, making her break with the agency over the new rules a rare one.
The disabling requirement prompted Charlie Summers, the CEO of the energy association, to write to Mills on Oct. 23, saying it could potentially risk “the life and safety of the customer,” particularly if homeowners do not have technicians service their systems before restarting them. It could also lead to code violations and break trade laws, he added.
Earlier that month, Summers said he and members shared concerns with Michael Stoddard, Efficiency Maine’s executive director, during an Oct. 3 conference call but that the agency did not agree. Summers said his group spoke with State Fire Marshal Richard McCarthy and the Maine Fuel Board, and Summers said an unidentified fuel board member shared they “had been instructed by someone higher up” to not discuss the safety issue.
Stoddard retorted that concerns were expressed in a “sort of vague and hypothetical” way. While he said technicians and installers had not raised relevant code issues with Efficiency Maine, the agency will keep talking with fuel companies.
Efficiency Maine, which is governed by a board, noted last month it is focusing its heat pump rebates on systems heating whole homes, rather than partial-home systems often served by ductless mini-split heat pumps.
The whole-home change came not because of any lag in reaching the state’s heat pump goals but rather because homeowners, manufacturers and installers are realizing the electric devices can fully heat homes despite Maine’s cold temperatures, Stoddard said.
“It is already happening,” Stoddard said of the shift from partial- to whole-home heat pump systems. “And the sky is not falling.”
The increased incentives began with projects completed on or after Sept. 18. At the state level, are up to $8,000 for low-income residents, up to $6,000 for moderate-income customers and up to $4,000 for all residents. There are also $2,000 federal tax credits available for both partial- and whole-home heat pump systems. The average homeowner spends $5,500 to install a heat pump, which can save about $1,000 annually over fossil fuel-burning heaters.
Maine has long led the nation in heating oil dependence, with more than half of its homes using fuel oil as a primary heating source. Mills has set a goal of having 130,000 homes use “partial-home” systems, or one to two heat pumps using electricity to heat and cool buildings, and an additional 115,000 homes use whole-home heat pump systems by 2030.
In response to a request for comment on the energy association’s letter, Anthony Ronzio, a spokesperson for Mills’ policy office, said the governor “takes seriously the safety concerns raised about disconnection of existing heating fuel systems” under the program.
Mills has shared those concerns with Efficiency Maine and “believes that there should be incentives available for those that want to install one or more heat pumps but are unable to afford a whole home installation” or whose homes are not suited for one, Ronzio added.
A spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety, which oversees the fire marshal’s office, did not respond to requests for comment on the cited safety issues.
Both Mills and her predecessor, former Gov. Paul LePage, touted heat pumps. While members of the energy association install them, its messaging on heat pumps stood out last year, when Maine Public reported on a website the group was operating that said the devices “are simply not ideal for climates like ours.”
Summers, a former Republican lawmaker and secretary of state, said Tuesday that his group “totally supports heat pumps” and simply wants clear and safe rebate policies.
“This isn’t about heat pumps,” he said. “This is about safety.”