PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 5, 2026
Public power is an idea whose time has come in Maine — if lawmakers and the next governor listen to ratepayers. Gov. Ken Curtis wanted to shake up lax utility regulation by the Maine Public Utilities Commission, and saw public power as a valuable yardstick to assess the rates being charged by utilities. The proposal led polls by 2-1, but after a relentless lobbying campaign by Central Maine Power it failed. The 2023 initiative to replace CMP and Versant with the cooperative Pine Tree Power Authority was rejected by more than 70% of the voters. Rather than replacing CMP, creating a state power authority to control new generation — now being built entirely by private owners with ratepayers paying the freight — makes more sense. A power authority could own Aroostook Wind, a 1,200-megawatt turbine assemblage to be built in northern Maine. Relying on private investment and the PUC’s RFP process makes little sense. Public power can combine cost savings, financing and reliability with a sense of control and accountability now lacking. ~ Douglas Rooks