Heating Oil Costs Take Center Stage in Maine Senate Race

The cost of home heating oil in Maine has almost doubled over the past year, a shift that has become a central issue in the state's U.S. Senate contest between Republican incumbent Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson, according to a column published by the New York Post on Nov. 2.

The column said most Maine households heat with oil rather than natural gas or electricity, and that nearly all of that fuel is imported from Canada, leaving residents exposed to price swings. It described rising energy costs as the leading complaint among voters and said a Collins loss would likely be attributed to them.

At a town hall in Scarborough on Nov. 1, Jackson appeared with Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey before about 100 people, the column said. The two attributed higher energy prices to U.S. military action in Iran. Markey argued that federal green energy subsidies are the remedy for Maine's energy costs and said Jackson, who describes himself as a fifth-generation logger, would be "our climate champion" in the Senate.

Collins has served in the Senate for 30 years and has kept a low profile during the campaign, the column said.

This story was first reported by New York Post.