PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 26, 2025
The Maine Public Utilities Commission’s recent rejection of Central Maine Power’s major rate increase request was a rare victory for ratepayers. But CMP is expected to file another rate case soon; understanding the regulatory context in which those decisions are made matters for Mainers, who are facing some of the nation’s fastest-rising electric rates. The time for action is now. Rapidly rising electric bills are discouraging electrification, slowing decarbonization and hitting vulnerable households and small businesses hardest. Public confidence is low, fueling political polarization and misdirected blame on clean energy. Meanwhile, CMP and Avangrid continue to report rising profits. Our regulators and utility laws are crucial to our shared future. Let’s make them as strong and as sensible as we can — and answerable to all of us, not just a few powerful interests. ~ Isabelle Winstead, legal and policy fellow for Our Power, a Maine nonprofit pushing for energy decisions made by and for the people of Maine