Angus King

Gov. Janet Mills (D) has “welcomed” the Trump administration’s decision to release 315,000 barrels of heating oil from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, following a September request from Sens. Susan Collins (R) and Angus King (I).

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the reserve is a one-million-barrel supply intended for use if the region’s oil supply is disrupted.

The upcoming release will allow oil companies to bid for 315,000 barrels from the reserve, equivalent to a 13% increase in New England’s heating oil supply. The release is expected to help lower costs for Maine consumers.

Oil has been released only twice in the reserve’s 26-year history, and never before to reduce heating fuel prices.

The first release came in 2011 and was intended to replace the reserve with more environmentally friendly oil, not to address an emergency. The most recent release was in 2012 in response to Hurricane Sandy.

Last month, heating fuel in Maine reached a record high of $6.02 per gallon.

The previous record was set in 2022, when prices reached $5.92 per gallon amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Based on calculations for a standard 275-gallon tank, Mainers were expected to pay $740 more per fill-up than at the same time last year.

[RELATED: Heating Fuel Hits Record High of $6.02 Per Gallon]

While praising the decision to release oil from the reserve, Mills also criticized President Trump for the nation’s involvement in Iran, blaming the ongoing conflict for rising prices.

“As President Trump’s war abroad drives up the price of gas, kerosene, and heating oil here at home, I welcome this move to release home heating oil from the national reserve, which I hope will provide Maine people with some meaningful financial relief as the seasons change and the cold quickly sets in,” Mills wrote in a press release Wednesday.

“I thank the Congressional Delegation for their advocacy, and I continue to urge them to appropriate additional LIHEAP funding to supplement this move,” she added.

“I also want to be clear,” Mills continued, “while we are hopeful this decision will ease prices for Maine people in the near-term, it will not solve the long-term problem driving up costs — the President’s war — and Maine people deserve long-term solutions that bring down costs, not just temporary relief from a crisis of the President’s own making.”

Click Here to Read Gov. Mills’ Full Press Release

Collins and King also both shared statements this week celebrating the administration’s decision.

“Approximately half of Maine households rely on fuel oil to heat their homes, and I have repeatedly urged the administration to use every tool to increase supply and lower energy prices,” Collins said. “The Department anticipates this release will put downward pressure on home heating oil costs and make a real difference for Maine homeowners as they prepare for winter.”

[RELATED: Susan Collins Applauds Release of 315,000 Barrels from Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve]

Like Mills, however, King also urged the administration to keep working to lower prices as winter approaches.

“Maine is one of the most dependent states in the country on home heating oil and the cost is absolutely through the roof,” King said. “This release of stored oil in New England will hopefully be some help. While this is good news, we also want to keep pressuring the Administration to bring those prices down before winter really sets in.”

Libby Palanza is a reporter for the Maine Wire, frequently covering legislative, legal, and local stories. She can be reached at [email protected].

Rising costs? Look in the mirror, nice try at deflecting though.

“ I also want to be clear “ ….. It was Cabbage Head Joe Biden and YOUR Democrat pals that drove up the prices in the first place . They won’t magically come down overnight . DUH . Go away Janet . NOBODY wants to hear another word from you .

Funny how no one mentions how the people manipulating President Biden drove fuel prices thru the roof pursuing the green energy scams.

Trying bringing in the fuel/energy people for a little come to Jesus meeting. The Iran thing is not that big of a factor (volume wise) in the current fuel situation. ,

It seems like we have an unholy alliance at work on fuel, eerily similar, to the release of Covid from Mr. Fauci’s lab in China.

There must be disconnect with democrat voters, I saw a sign today surrounded by democrat campaign signs that read ” vote for change, vote democrat.”

The ol thank you fuc you trick. Commonly used by people lacking the abilities to think or speak coherently.

Maine electricity costs have increased by far more (AI claims 98-144%) during Janet Mills’ 2 terms as governor. Maine has actively promoted electric heat luring homeowners away from oil heat which has increased 83% during President Trump’s 47th term. The difference is that oil prices always have in the past dropped after each spike. Electricity costs rarely if ever decrease. The threat of Iran having nuclear missiles that can reach America justifies temporary high oil prices as the Trump administration does what 5 previous administrations should have done to reduce the threat of a nuclear attack.

Interesting how Janet Mills can never say a kind word toward our president. Stop Fraud ==> Vote Republican!

Original reporting. Straight to your inbox.