PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 20, 2021
Lawmakers heard sharply contrasting predictions Thursday on whether a consumer-owned utility created from Maine’s two major electricity providers would lower costs and improve service or leave ratepayers saddled with debt and less reliability. Supporters said a forced buyout of Central Maine Power Co. and Versant Power would allow residents to assert control over electric infrastructure and costs as the state makes critical decisions about its energy future. Opponents, meanwhile, portrayed the proposal as a “government takeover” of Maine’s utility grid and accused proponents of cherry picking data to paint a rosy picture that is unlikely to materialize with a consumer-owned utility.