How Maine Became the Heat Pump Capital of the US
One in five new homes in the Pine Tree State has a heat pump, making Maine a blueprint for other states looking to implement Inflation Reduction Act rebates.
Maine has so far subsidized the purchase of more than 100,000 heat pumps.
Courtesy of Efficiency MaineBest known for its scenic lighthouses and fresh lobster, Maine can now make another claim to fame: It’s installing energy-efficient electric heat pumps and heat pump water heaters at a pace unmatched by any other US state.
With a population of 1.4 million people, Maine has over the past decade subsidized the purchase of more than 100,000 heat pumps, which both warm and cool buildings and slash greenhouse gas emissions, especially when powered by clean electricity. About 85% of those heat pumps have been installed in the state’s 570,000 households, with the rest going to commercial properties. Heat pumps are now found in roughly one in five new homes in Maine.