Collins applauds G7 oil release, says it will help Mainers struggling with costs

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is applauding the news that the Group of Seven European nations will release 50 million barrels of diesel and 50 million barrels of crude oil over the next four months. 

The release is expected to lower energy costs, which have soared as the war in Iran restricts the flow of diesel and crude oil onto global markets and Russia has implemented an export ban on diesel after Ukrainian attacks on refineries. 

“I applaud this announcement, which will increase the supply of diesel, which can also be used to heat homes this winter, and crude oil, putting immediate downward pressure on gasoline and diesel prices,” Collins said in a statement Friday. “This will help to lower costs for Americans heating their homes and fueling up cars and trucks, farmers and other businesses producing and transporting goods, and households purchasing the everyday products they depend on.”

In a letter to President Donald Trump last month, Collins and Sen. Angus King urged the federal government to release supply from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve. 

According to the latest data from the Maine Department of Energy Resources, the average statewide price of heating oil was $5.96 per gallon on Sept. 28, up roughly 80% from last year. That is down slightly from Sept. 21, when the average price reached a record high of $6.02. 

“Maine’s reliance on imported heating fuels means our households remain exposed to volatility in global oil markets, putting added pressure on families as we head into winter with record high prices,” Celina Cunningham, acting commissioner of the Maine Department of Energy Resources, said in a statement Thursday. 

Roughly half of Maine households use heating oil as their primary heating source. That number is down from 70% of households in 2010, according to the department. 

On Friday, the Maine Democratic Party criticized Collins for voting to extend the war five times.

“The risks to our troops and our families were clear the moment that President Trump started this reckless war with Iran — yet Susan Collins voted five times against stopping it,” Maine Democratic Party spokesperson Misha Linnehan said in a statement. “Now, families are paying record prices to heat their homes this winter, and there’s no end to the war in sight.”