Maine Senators Urge Trump to Release Emergency Heating Oil Reserve
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Industrial oil storage tanks under a clear sky. Illustrative image |
WASHINGTON — September 23, 2026
Maine's two US senators are asking President Donald Trump to release fuel from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve as rising diesel and heating oil prices increase costs for households. Republican Senator Susan Collins and independent Senator Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, made the request in a letter to Trump on Tuesday.
The senators said Maine households are facing significantly higher heating costs as global fuel supplies remain tight. The Maine Department of Energy Resources reported that statewide heating oil prices were 74% higher than a year earlier, with filling a standard oil tank costing about $675 more.
The Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve contains about 1 million barrels of ultra-low-sulfur diesel stored at four locations between Maine and New Jersey. The reserve was established in 2000 to provide emergency supplies to the Northeast during disruptions and was last used in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy.
Collins said energy costs have become a major issue in Maine and argued that releasing fuel from the reserve could put downward pressure on prices. The senators' request comes as the region approaches the winter heating season, when demand for heating fuel typically increases.
Collins has also joined Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island in urging the administration to release federal home-heating assistance funds for low-income households. Collins and King said Maine is particularly exposed to international fuel disruptions because many households depend on heating oil.
The reserve has not been used for more than a decade, and the Trump administration previously proposed eliminating it because of its maintenance costs. The White House had not immediately responded to the senators' latest request, according to the supplied report.
The appeal comes as US diesel prices have climbed above $6.50 a gallon amid a wider global fuel supply shortage linked to disruptions involving Iran, Ukraine and other major supply routes. US diesel inventories have also remained under pressure, with industry data showing unusually tight supplies.
The high prices have prompted separate calls for restrictions on US diesel exports. The White House, however, denied a report that the administration was preparing a 90-day export ban, while Energy Secretary Chris Wright said such a measure would not solve the underlying supply problem.
For now, the Northeast reserve remains untouched, while Maine lawmakers are pressing the administration to use it as fuel costs rise ahead of the colder months.
