PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 14, 2025
Mainers condemned Central Maine Power Co.’s request to increase distribution rates and expressed doubt in the company’s ability to improve service at a public hearing at the Hilton Garden Inn Tuesday evening. Speaking to members of the Public Utilities Commission in sworn testimony, more than a dozen attendees charged that the proposed increase — roughly $35 a month by late 2030 — would hurt the state’s most vulnerable residents. They said the request comes as households across southern Maine are already feeling the pinch of increased costs across the board. CMP last month asked the Public Utilities Commission for permission to increase its annual revenue by about $400 million through incremental hikes between 2026 and 2031. For customers, that would mean an additional $420 per year once the plan is fully implemented.