Subsidized heat pump installation is driving growth of clean energy jobs in Maine

Heat pump installation, benefiting from government subsidies, is fueling clean energy job growth in Maine, according to a state report released Wednesday. The study commissioned by the Governor’s Energy Office shows that Maine’s “clean energy economy” reached 15,000 jobs at the end of 2022, or about 2.3% of the state’s workforce of 656,400. Its increase was greater than the economy generally: Since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, employment in Maine rose 1%, while clean energy employment increased by nearly 3%. The energy efficiency sector is the largest among five categories,...