http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/050904heating.shtmlThis heating season is shaping up to be the most expensive for Mainers in a quarter century, as record petroleum prices inflate the cost of oil, gas, electricity and even firewood.
That bleak outlook was true even before Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast early last week and dealt a severe blow to critical offshore drilling platforms and vitally important refineries in Louisiana and Mississippi. It may prove to be an understatement if price hikes caused by the hurricane hold up.
"I was worried about this winter before Hurricane Katrina, and this certainly hasn't done anything to lessen my worry," said Beth Nagusky, the head of Maine's Office of Energy Independence and Security.
A steady rise in energy prices over the first half of the year, combined with the post-hurricane spike last week, means that Mainers should "prepare for what could be a very hard winter," Nagusky said.
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