MAINE PUBLIC • November 22, 2022
Electricity customers in Maine are in for a big increase in their monthly bills next year. Most customers served by Central Maine Power and Versant Power could see an increase of $30 a month — and more price spikes might soon be on the way. Bill Harwood, Maine's public advocate, says the increase is due to the cost of natural gas, which is a big source of electricity for Maine and for the New England grid. The fossil fuel industry, the war in Ukraine, Putin and the congestion in the pipeline between Pennsylvania gas fields and Maine—all out-of-state things over which we can't control—are driving up the cost. The other bad news comes from the delivery portion. Both CMP and Versant have asked the PUC to allow them to increase those rates by about 30% starting next summer so they can improve their reliability. The current increase in electricity rates is not being driven by renewable energy projects.