CMP, public advocate at odds over utility's spending during last year's storms

Central Maine Power and Maine’s Public Advocate are at odds over the utility's spending to restore power after several storms last year. The public advocate argues that the utility's storm restoration costs are "excessive" and "imprudent," and believes that regulators should prohibit CMP from recovering about $53 million from ratepayers. But at a public hearing Tuesday, a few business owners and municipal officers came to CMP's defense. They argued that they depend on the utility to quickly restore power. CMP says the public advocate misinterpreted its emergency restoration plans.