A new report shows Maine is exceeding the home-heating goals set forth in its ambitious four-year climate plan to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The state surpassed its goal of installing 100,000 heat pumps earlier this summer, and Gov. Janet Mills quickly set a new target of 275,000 by 2027.

Michael Stoddard, Efficiency Maine Trust executive director, said new refrigeration cycle technology is helping both the climate and consumers, who've struggled with volatile prices in home heating oil.

"The advent of highly effective at very cold temperatures and very cost-effective air-sourced heat pumps has been a huge breakthrough for us," Stoddard explained.

Close to 30% of Maine's greenhouse-gas emissions come from heating homes and businesses. The state has set a goal of going carbon neutral by 2045 and is aggressively promoting heat pumps to help reach that target.

The cold and rural state of Maine is the nation's most dependent on home heating oil, with nearly 60% of households reliant on the fuel for warmth, compared with just 4% nationally.

Stoddard said often, households will install a heat pump and continue to use heating oil as a backup source, but added a whole-home heat-pump system can save consumers roughly $1,000 a year.

"So, you can imagine what the impacts of that are, expanded across all the homes that we touch and that we will touch over the next decade," he said.

Stoddard noted many antiquated school buildings in rural Maine could also reap financial rewards by transitioning their heating systems, and said federal and state programs offering financial incentives, especially rebates, are helping drive consumer demand for more efficient heating technologies that also benefit the climate.


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New polling shows most Americans still favor non-fossil fuel energy sources, but support for certain renewables is not quite as strong these days and a Wisconsin expert hopes the direct impacts of climate change bolster messaging.

The Pew Research Center is out with a new public opinion report on energy choices. Among those surveyed, 63% support the U.S. taking steps to become carbon-neutral by 2050. But support for expanding wind and solar development has gone down from well past 80% to around 75%.

Dr. Ciaran Gallagher, energy and air manager for the climate nonprofit Clean Wisconsin, feels it is important to remind residents climate change is happening at their doorstep.

"We can point to the drought that affected our farmers last summer and then in stark comparison, the intense rain and flooding events we've been experiencing this spring and summer," Gallagher explained.

She mentioned last summer's smoky air from Canadian wildfires as another example. Advocates said such events might help convince the public to regain confidence in renewables as policymakers try to limit climate disasters. Local opposition has surfaced for various solar and wind projects. Gallagher acknowledged it is not surprising, adding misinformation and polarization are driving changing attitudes.

Grid operators warn as more coal plants and other fossil sources come offline to meet clean energy goals, reliability issues might surface in the short term as energy demand soars. But Gallagher countered it does not mean wind and solar are failing to keep the lights on.

"These last few winters, the energy source that has failed is gas power plants," Gallagher pointed out. "Solar and wind in some of the recent storms have outperformed more than they (were) expected (to)."

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission points out in a 2022 winter storm affecting parts of the Midwest, 90% of prolonged outages were linked to fossil sources.

The Pew survey also showed Americans are not quite as eager to purchase an electric vehicle compared with a few years ago. Gallagher echoed predictions from agencies such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics which indicate organic growth will still happen. She added people taking advantage of federal incentives right now to bring EVs within reach are likely to spur word-of-mouth.

"We're going to see these numbers continue to grow as more people talk to their friends and families that have been early adopters of these technologies," Gallagher predicted.


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A new poll shows Idahoans support the development of more clean energy in the state.

In February, 500 likely Idaho voters were surveyed.

Jillian Hanson, climate and renewable energy program manager for The Nature Conservancy in Idaho, said clean energy was a winning issue in this poll.

"Sixty-four percent of Idahoans agree we can both increase the production of clean energy while preserving natural areas, wildlife habitat and the character of our communities," Hanson reported.

Hanson noted 64% of participants in the survey agreed clean energy is economically beneficial for communities, bringing lower energy prices and jobs. The poll was conducted by GS Strategy Group on behalf of The Nature Conservancy in Idaho.

Hanson emphasized proper planning is integral to clean energy production. Last year, The Nature Conservancy released its Power of Place report. It lays out how renewable energy can be developed while still preserving natural and working lands.

Hanson stressed the report shows it is possible and one important element is getting local residents involved.

"In all of this planning conversation, too, robust community engagement is very important from the outset," Hanson asserted. "Engagement that prioritizes community benefits and responds to community concerns."

Hanson noted clean energy can have economic benefits and low impacts on nature at the same time.

"Clean energy technology can provide reliable energy to communities at a marginal cost increase," Hanson added. "It can also create economic opportunities, like in the form of jobs, U.S. manufacturing and more."

Tomorrow Minnesota will reopen online applications for electric bike rebates.

Environmental advocates are closely watching consumer demand for these products, in hopes they'll play a role in emissions reductions.

The state Commerce Department is launching the application period, after a technical issue forced it to shut down the portal last month soon after going live.

The rebates of up to $1,500 are expected to go quickly, and that's welcome news to Lena Reynolds - communications and policy advocate for the Environmental Law and Policy Center.

She said having more e-bikes replace gas-powered vehicles for shorter trips bodes well for improving air quality.

"In places that have done e-bike rebate programs like this before," said Reynolds, "I know Denver, their average participant replaced 22 miles of car trips a week. So, that's a lot of gas that they're not burning."

Research is still coming together on just how much of a dent e-bikes would make in reducing transportation emissions.

But the Policy Center says even when factoring in the manufacturing and charging requirements, an e-bike's climate impact is 93% lower per mile than a fossil-fueled car.

While rebate programs are emerging, the purchase price is still seen as a barrier.

Other policy experts think more coordination is needed in crafting regulations to keep riders and those around them safe.

Reynolds agreed that steps like adding off-street trails could bring a level of balance toward this growth.

As for skeptics who say charging an e-bike still creates a carbon footprint, she said it isn't as bad as they might think.

"And in Minnesota, it's even better," said Reynolds. "Renewables generate the largest share of Minnesota's electricity. So, you know, riding an e-bike is even more sustainable in Minnesota than it would be in other states where fossil fuels are a larger portion of the electricity mix."

When looking at the rebates, Minnesota's discount is 50% to 75% of a buyer's qualifying expenses, depending on their income.

The state of Michigan just adopted a similar program. And just like Denver, Reynolds noted that some cities are offering their own rebates - including Columbus, Ohio.




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