Today, the next committee to tackle energy issues convenes its first of five meetings in Augusta. This is the aptly-named HEETForce, or Heat and Energy Emergency Task Force, assembled by the leadership of the Legislature.

(Admittedly, this group has the slickest acronym of all the state energy and heat-related committees so far.)

Some 13 lawmakers will serve on the task force, which plans to meet through November with energy industry officials, state agencies and others to ensure the state is doing all it can for Mainers to weather the winter ahead.

Its formation comes on the heels of Gov. John Baldacci’s announcement of a $12.6 million energy plan, which allocates resources – read dollars – into underfunded low-income heating assistance and weatherization programs.

The governor’s plan puts money where needs are easily identified. Maine has an older housing stock heated by oil furnaces – with oil prices high, the obvious, critical response is more subsidies for oil and weatherizing of homes.

And the governor made this decision without convening the Legislature, as was mulled – well, demanded by Republicans – during the past few weeks.

So it is a tad unclear what the HEETForce needs to do, aside from identifying needs. But, Gov. Baldacci has shown he can take action without opening the State House.

What this group should do is take this opportunity to move the state’s energy policies forward. Yes, if a short-term issue can be resolved, it should, but the best product of their efforts are what far-thinking policies they could develop.

With all the scrutiny on energy, the obvious steps are known and, with the governor’s plan, being taken. This crisis is fortuitous only because Maine has seen it coming and had some time to plan.

There’s little reason for the task force to retrace the governor’s steps, unless it must. Their mandate should be energy policy, the crafting of insightful legislation to move toward home energy diversity and oil independence.

Because, although the plan Gov. Baldacci proposed is crucial, throwing money into furnaces and putting plastic over drafty windows does nothing to address the underlying problem: an overwhelming dependence on heating oil.

While low-income Mainers need assistance, rising energy costs are also impacting middle-income residents and landlords as well. Though direct subsidies for these latter groups are unwarranted, creating strong incentives for energy efficiency and diversity are appropriate.

Immediate concerns, if presented, should be addressed by the task force. But by looking farther ahead, this committee should be able to help prevent more winters like this one coming.

For the first time, probably ever, a legislative panel is meeting on home energy alone. While this is a chance to help Mainers this winter, the governor has already taken the required steps.

The group’s greater opportunity lies with affecting winters long into the future.