The ground may be unusually green for January, but it is highly doubtful that Maine will avoid winter altogether. And for some Mainers, it could be a particularly harsh one.

That’s because the state is now slated to receive around $18 million less in funding through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program than it did a year ago.

LIHEAP, a federal program that gives heating assistance to low-income, disabled and elderly residents, provided the state with $56.5 million last year. During that winter, more than 63,000 Maine households – with an average income of around $16,500 – benefited from the LIHEAP program, for an average of around $800 per household.

The federal budget now allocates around $38.5 million for Maine, at a time when heating oil is priced at an average of $3.56 per gallon, 49 cents higher than a year ago. The cut comes at a time of high demand, as well. The National Energy Assistance Director’s Association projects a record 9.4 million households will be served by LIHEAP nationwide in 2012, an increase of 500,000 from 2011.

It could have been worse, as the initial budget from the Obama administration slated just $1.7 billion for LIHEAP, which would have provided $24 million for Maine. Then, in a too-rare occasion, Congress continued to fight for struggling Americans, passing legislation that earmarked more money for the program.

Further help may be on the way, in the form of the LIHEAP Protection Act, sponsored by, among others, U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine. The legislation, which is up for debate this month, would restore federal funding for the program to last year’s level of $4.7 billion, and, it is hoped, restore Maine’s funding to last year’s level.

Meanwhile, Maine is preparing for the worst. Gov. Paul LePage asked officials at the Maine State Housing Authority, which administrates LIHEAP, and Efficiency Maine, which spearheads the state’s weatherization efforts, to formulate a plan to stretch Maine’s heating assistance dollars.

As part of that plan, the weatherization of some older, drafty homes has been fast-tracked to make those homes more energy-efficient, and grant funds are being used to install high-efficiency heating systems in some homes, efforts that both make heating assistance dollars go further, this year and beyond. Also, Maine Housing is reallocating some of its funds for direct heating assistance.

The state’s plan should help weather the storm if Congress somehow fails to recognize the urgent need for additional heating assistance. Congress should pass the LIHEAP Protection Act – finding cuts elsewhere if necessary – then work on a long-term solution that prevents the annual struggle the country’s colder states must undertake each year to maintain the funding.

Regardless of how Congress votes, Maine must continue to work to make its aging housing stock more energy-efficient, and to make residents less reliant on heating oil. Competition among a number of different heating sources cannot be a bad thing.

Also, a discussion of the heating assistance problem in Maine would not be complete without mentioning the dozens of private groups that raise money on their own to help with heating assistance.

Included in that group are the Scarborough Community Chamber and Project GRACE, a local nonprofit, which in December announced the chamber had raised $7,500 for the Scarborough Fuel Assistance Program, which is being administered by Project GRACE. The program has set a goal to raise $50,000. Each year, Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors provides heating assistance for residents with nowhere else to go. Last winter, 71 Windham residents received a heating fuel, adding up to $22,344 in assistance. Buxton has a program called Keep the Heat On.

Then there is the Keep ME Warm campaign, through the United Way of Maine and local Community Action Programs, which also raises private funds to supplement emergency fuel programs across the state.

These groups show that people do not want their neighbors to go cold in the winter. Congress should follow that lead, and make sure we are not addressing this crisis once again a year from now.

Ben Bragdon is the managing editor of Current Publishing. He can be reached at bbragdon@keepmecurrent.com or followed on Twitter.

The ground may be unusually green for January, but it is highly doubtful that Maine will avoid winter altogether. And for some Mainers, it could be a particularly harsh one.

That’s because the state is now slated to receive around $18 million less in funding through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program than it did a year ago.

LIHEAP, a federal program that gives heating assistance to low-income, disabled and elderly residents, provided the state with $56.5 million last year. During that winter, more than 63,000 Maine households – with an average income of around $16,500 – benefited from the LIHEAP program, for an average of around $800 per household.

The federal budget now allocates around $38.5 million for Maine, at a time when heating oil is priced at an average of $3.56 per gallon, 49 cents higher than a year ago. The cut comes at a time of high demand, as well. The National Energy Assistance Director’s Association projects a record 9.4 million households will be served by LIHEAP nationwide in 2012, an increase of 500,000 from 2011.

It could have been worse, as the initial budget from the Obama administration slated just $1.7 billion for LIHEAP, which would have provided $24 million for Maine. Then, in a too-rare occasion, Congress continued to fight for struggling Americans, passing legislation that earmarked more money for the program.

Further help may be on the way, in the form of the LIHEAP Protection Act, sponsored by, among others, U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine. The legislation, which is up for debate this month, would restore federal funding for the program to last year’s level of $4.7 billion, and, it is hoped, restore Maine’s funding to last year’s level.

Meanwhile, Maine is preparing for the worst. Gov. Paul LePage asked officials at the Maine State Housing Authority, which administrates LIHEAP, and Efficiency Maine, which spearheads the state’s weatherization efforts, to formulate a plan to stretch Maine’s heating assistance dollars.

As part of that plan, the weatherization of some older, drafty homes has been fast-tracked to make those homes more energy-efficient, and grant funds are being used to install high-efficiency heating systems in some homes, efforts that both make heating assistance dollars go further, this year and beyond. Also, Maine Housing is reallocating some of its funds for direct heating assistance.

The state’s plan should help weather the storm if Congress somehow fails to recognize the urgent need for additional heating assistance. Congress should pass the LIHEAP Protection Act – finding cuts elsewhere if necessary – then work on a long-term solution that prevents the annual struggle the country’s colder states must undertake each year to maintain the funding.

Regardless of how Congress votes, Maine must continue to work to make its aging housing stock more energy-efficient, and to make residents less reliant on heating oil. Competition among a number of different heating sources cannot be a bad thing.

Also, a discussion of the heating assistance problem in Maine would not be complete without mentioning the dozens of private groups that raise money on their own to help with heating assistance.

Included in that group are the Scarborough Community Chamber and Project GRACE, a local nonprofit, which in December announced the chamber had raised $7,500 for the Scarborough Fuel Assistance Program, which is being administered by Project GRACE. The program has set a goal to raise $50,000. Each year, Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors provides heating assistance for residents with nowhere else to go. Last winter, 71 Windham residents received a heating fuel, adding up to $22,344 in assistance. Buxton has a program called Keep the Heat On.

Then there is the Keep ME Warm campaign, through the United Way of Maine and local Community Action Programs, which also raises private funds to supplement emergency fuel programs across the state.

These groups show that people do not want their neighbors to go cold in the winter. Congress should follow that lead, and make sure we are not addressing this crisis once again a year from now.

Ben Bragdon is the managing editor of Current Publishing. He can be reached at bbragdon@keepmecurrent.com or followed on Twitter.