Maine
Maine needs more technicians to install and repair electric heat pumps
Roger Mitchell, dean of the Maine Energy Marketers Association’s Technical Education Center, talks about heat pump training at the Brunswick facility on Thursday. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
Maine’s ambitious efforts to expand heat pump use to reduce carbon emissions from buildings are outpacing the supply of technicians needed to install and fix the equipment.
Gretchen Larman, of Yarmouth, said she waited about six weeks this summer for a fix to her electric heat pump that leaked coolant. She had to do without air conditioning during the occasional heat waves.
“It’s a very long July to be without anything,” she said.
As she searched for a repair service, she was told she’d have to wait weeks, often getting a similar message: “We are so backed up. This is the best we can do.”
Employers and schools say they can’t train enough heat pump technicians.
While about 2,510 people worked in heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) – including heat pump technicians – in Maine in 2020, that number is projected to drop to 2,350 by 2030, according to a database sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Last year, Maine had already dipped below that estimate, with nearly 2,100 people working in those jobs, according to the state Department of Labor.
Yet the number of heat pumps installed in Maine has more than doubled, from fewer than 50,000 a few years ago to 100,000 in July 2023, two years ahead of scheduled targets set by Gov. Janet Mills. She set a target of installing another 175,000 heat pumps in Maine by 2027, bringing the total number to 320,000 if the target is reached.
Scott Libby, owner of Royal River Heat Pumps in Freeport, questions that goal. “There’s a limit on our capacity,” he said.
AN AGING WORKFORCE
Libby says part of the blame for the shortage of HVAC workers is Maine’s aging workforce, which affects most industries. As many as 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day in the United States, with the youngest in that generation reaching 60 this year, emptying workplaces with retirements.
Adults who are 65 and older make up 9.4% of Maine’s workforce, compared to 6.6% nationally.
Brandon Stinchfield, lead technician for Horizon Homes, installs heat pumps at Homestead Village in Westbrook on Thursday. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
The pandemic, too, made things worse as stalled manufacturing damaged supply chains.
“The beginning of COVID, that just magnified it,” Libby said. “It’s been aging out for years.”
The average age of HVAC professionals is about 54, according to the Northeast Technical Institute (NTI), which said a “significant number of HVAC technicians are expected to retire within the next decade.” The institute trains workers for HVAC, health care and other industries in Maine.
The demand for workers will only increase. Mills announced in July that Maine will receive between $45 million and $72 million from Washington to install more electric heat pumps. Efficiency Maine, the quasi-state agency that administers energy efficiency programs, estimates that with a budget of $42 million, it could convert about 7,750 homes from fossil fuels to being entirely heated and cooled with heat pumps.
A typical home will be outfitted with one to four heat pumps depending on its size, condition and layout, Efficiency Maine said.
WHERE IS TRAINING AVAILABLE?
HVAC training takes different forms, with longer courses of instruction and briefer classes that lead to certification.
Chris Sorois listens as Roger Mitchell teaches a course at Maine Energy Marketers Association Technical Education Center in Brunswick on Monday. The center is offering a 40-hour Heat Pump Training course later this month and again in October. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Welcome Richardson, an HVAC instructor at NTI, said students with training in heat pumps, gas and oil heating, and air conditioning – a seven-month program – often land a job the day they graduate.
“Everybody is looking for employees,” he said. “People who have training to do heat pumps, gas, oil, air conditioning, it’s hard to find people with that capability.”
“People who do go into the trades, especially HVAC, it’s got great pay. Maybe a lot of people don’t know that,” Richardson said.
At its Technical Education Center in Brunswick, the Maine Energy Marketers Association trains HVAC workers in the classroom and in a lab where equipment is broken and fixed. The center has offered six or seven classes a year for five years, drawing about 20 students in each class, Dean Roger Mitchell said.
It’s driven by demand that he said is “pretty steady.”
A 40-hour, one-week session leads to certification and being a registered vendor with Efficiency Maine. The classes cover sales, installation, repair and other skills. Students are referred by their employers, word of mouth, or the result of an online search and military veterans, Mitchell said.
WANTED: WORKERS WITH A MECHANICAL APTITUDE
Libby, of Royal River Heat Pumps, employs about 30 installers, including seven licensed electricians. “I could hire 10 if I have the right 10,” he said.
He said starting pay is $30 an hour, rising to $40 an hour over time. He pays 100% of medical and dental insurance and offers a 401(k) retirement plan and flexible work scheduling.
“I really don’t know how to make it more appealing,” he said.
Students listen as Roger Mitchell teaches a course about refrigeration systems at the Maine Energy Marketers Association Technical Education Center in Brunswick on Monday. The center recommends students take this course before enrolling in the 40-hour heat pump training. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
His workforce includes former carpenters and car mechanics who have a mechanical aptitude. “It’s really a nice job. It’s relatively clean. You’re not going home all covered with grease and soot.”
Libby said he typically finds workers from his employees, who tell friends and former co-workers.
“One employee is responsible for three others,” he said. “They built jeeps and four-wheelers together, driving them through the woods and breaking them and fixing them. Word of mouth is the best thing.”
Heat pumps extract heat from outside air and run it through a compressor that makes it hotter before pumping it indoors. In the summer, it can operate in reverse, pulling heat from inside a building and pumping it outside, cooling the indoor spaces. As state and federal officials set increasingly strict greenhouse gas emissions targets, buildings – and their use of natural gas or oil for heating and cooling – are being redesigned or retrofitted to improve energy efficiency and accommodate electric heat pumps.
Policymakers and environmentalists are targeting building emissions because of the scale: Residential and commercial buildings last year consumed about 28% of all U.S. end-use energy, or energy directly used by homes, buildings, vehicles and industrial applications, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
RAPID EMPLOYMENT GROWTH PREDICTED
Nationally, employment of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers is projected to grow 6% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Roger Mitchell, dean of the Maine Energy Marketers Association’s Technical Education Center, talks about heat pump training at the Brunswick facility on Thursday. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
About 37,700 openings for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers are projected each year, on average, over the decade, according to the federal government.
Many of the openings, with a median pay last year of $57,300, are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire, the Labor Department said.
In Maine, HVAC jobs pay an average of $59,000 annually.
The pressure is on to hire heat pump technicians. The U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition of 25 governors, announced in September 2023 that members agreed to reach 20 million heat pump installations by 2030.
Government subsidies help drive demand. Federal and state incentives of up to $10,600 for heat pump installation, with Efficiency Maine providing rebates of up to $8,000 that subsidizes between 40% and 80% of a project’s cost depending on income.
Federal tax credits of up to $2,600 also are available.
And money from Washington is used for job training in the green energy business. Portland Adult Education, for example, received $416,179 for its renewable energy pre-apprenticeship and other programs by adding heat-pump and thermal-focused training. The school plans to use the funds to prepare up to 150 people for jobs in the clean energy industry.
In total, six programs will share $2 million: Maine Math and Science Alliance in Augusta, Biddeford School Department and Biddeford Adult Education, Oxford Hills and Nezinscot Adult Education, PassivhausMaine in Freeport, Portland Adult Education and the University of Maine in Orono.
Larman said difficulties getting repair service are perplexing.
“We’re making such a huge thing to put these in, but we don’t have the people available to service these units,” she said.
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This story will be updated.
The Maine Department of Transportation is moving to slash up to $400 million in projects from its agenda, a shocking and abrupt cutback that is rattling the state’s construction industry at the start of building season.
Roughly $50 million across six pavement projects have already been delayed, according to a memo exclusively obtained by the Bangor Daily News. The agency plans to cut or delay another $150 million in bridge, highway, intersection and multimodal projects later this month. A further $200 million or more in cuts are planned in the next three-year work plan.
Those figures were outlined by Transportation Commissioner Dale Doughty in the May 18 memo to Gov. Janet Mills that has since circulated widely in the transportation sector, which has been getting drip-by-drip details on the wide scope of the cuts over the past three weeks.
It comes at the beginning of the state’s relatively narrow construction season. Companies have hired workers and ordered materials for projects they expected to begin this summer. The severity of the transportation budget problems was not raised to lawmakers during the 2026 legislative session.
Kelly Flagg, executive director of the Associated General Contractors of Maine, called the shortfall “deeply troubling” in a statement.
“We stand ready to work with policymakers, stakeholders, and industry partners to identify both immediate and long-term solutions,” Flagg said. “Maine cannot afford to fall further behind.”
Insiders saw this first.
This story was broken in Maine Politics Insider, the BDN’s daily premium newsletter for the most ardent political news followers. If you are a new BDN subscriber, you can sign up here. Current subscribers can contact our customer service team to upgrade.
The cuts stem from a structural funding gap of at least $130 million in the state’s current work plan, according to Doughty’s memo. Losses are magnified because state money from the gas tax and other revenue sources is matched by federal funds. Lawmakers have long grappled with politically difficult long-term problems with the state’s transportation budget.
A Mills spokesperson said Wednesday morning that the administration was working on a response to questions from the BDN. The department says it needs roughly $240 million more in state capital funding annually to maintain the existing system, and that anything less than $200 million will erode it over time.
Doughty’s memo the only near-term solution is a series of bonds beginning as soon as possible. Lawmakers would have to return to Augusta to authorize that if one is going to appear on the November ballot.
The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Michael Capeci is the former chairman of the Bangor GOP.
Let’s be honest about Maine’s current state.
For many families, the cost of living has become unsustainable. Housing is out of reach for many young people. Energy bills keep rising. Many small businesses are struggling under taxes and regulations that make it harder to grow. Rural hospitals are under strain and despite years of increased state spending, the results are not showing up in people’s daily lives.
Concurrently, Maine continues to lose young workers to other states. That is not a statistic, it is a warning sign.
To me, the question in this Republican primary for governor is not about slogans. It is whether we continue with a political approach that has failed to reverse these trends, or whether we nominate someone with new ideas. I think that someone is Owen McCarthy.
Owen is not a political insider. He is an entrepreneur from Patten, a small town where opportunity is not assumed, it is built. He grew up in a working-class family, became the first in his family to graduate from college graduating from the University of Maine, and founded MedRhythms, a healthcare technology company focused on neurological treatment.
He didn’t just talk about opportunity. He built it. That distinction matters, because Maine’s problem is not a lack of debate it is a lack of results. We have seen the trajectory: higher costs, slower growth, and a steady outmigration of young workers. I believe Owen McCarthy represents a break from that pattern.
His Maine 2040 plan focuses on creating 50,000 new jobs in sectors where Maine has real advantages — maritime and defense, advanced forest products, and life sciences. These are export-driven industries tied directly to Maine’s workforce, geography, and institutions. What sets Owen apart is not only what he proposes, but how he approaches governing.
He prioritizes modernizing permitting so projects do not stall. He supports using technology to reduce costs and increase efficiency. He focuses on making it easier to build, hire, and expand in Maine.
That same practical mindset extends to healthcare. Expanding telehealth, strengthening EMS systems, improving provider flexibility, and shifting toward earlier intervention are not abstract reforms. They are system upgrades designed to improve access while controlling costs.
Maine voters consistently respond to competence. They reward candidates who understand problems and present plans to solve them. I believe they are tired of rhetoric that does not translate into results, and skeptical of politics that prioritizes messaging over execution.
Owen’s approach is grounded in solving the issues that shape daily life — affordability, healthcare access, job creation, and government efficiency. That is not just policy positioning. It is a governing model that speaks directly to voters.
Some will point to his lack of political experience. But I believe Maine’s core problems are not the result of insufficient political experience; they are the result of policies that have failed to deliver measurable improvement. Experience inside a broken system, by itself, is not a solution.
If Republicans want to win, this primary must be taken seriously. From my perspective, it is not about choosing a nominee for governor who can energize the base. It is about selecting someone who can compete in a broader electorate that is frustrated and looking for change.
That requires a candidate who can speak beyond the base, not by abandoning principles, but by demonstrating competence and a credible plan to address Maine’s challenges. I believe Owen McCarthy offers that combination. He represents a shift away from managed decline and toward economic execution.
This is not just another primary. It is a decision about whether Republicans position themselves to win Maine or whether they remain trapped in a cycle of repeating the same strategies and expecting different outcomes.
If Republicans want to compete for Maine’s future, they cannot afford to nominate a candidate who only motivates part of the electorate. They need someone who expands it.
I believe Owen McCarthy is that candidate.
And if the goal is to win Maine, then the choice should be unmistakable
The only notable change in the top-seven of the Varsity Maine baseball poll is that Gorham now has eight first-place votes, two more than last week. The order of the seven teams is identical. In fact, the only change in the top-seven over the past three polls is the swap at the top after Gorham’s win over South Portland on May 19.
Furthermore, Gorham, South Portland, Oxford Hills, Cheverus, Bangor, Mt. Ararat and Fryeburg have been ranked in the top seven for four straight weeks, and six of those squads have been among the top seven in every poll this spring.
Meanwhile, Scarborough is ranked for the first time since May 5, and Ellsworth and Thornton swapped spots.
The Varsity Maine baseball poll is based on games played before June 2, 2026. The top 10 teams are voted on by the Varsity Maine staff, with first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points.
1. Gorham (8) 89
2. South Portland 79
3. Oxford Hills (1) 75
4. Cheverus 55
5. Bangor 42
6. Mt. Ararat 41
7. Fryeburg Academy 30
8. Ellsworth 27
9. Thornton Academy 25
10. Scarborough 12
Also receiving votes: Washington Academy 8, Monmouth Academy 4, Cony 4, Leavitt 2, Falmouth 2.
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