Opinion: Wyman Station is a problem Maine must solve

SUN JOURNAL • June 13, 2026

Wyman Station towers over Casco Bay. Its shadow similarly looms large over Maine’s energy future. It is Maine’s largest power plant. On cold days, the facility burns residual fuel oil to generate electricity and backstop the regional power mix. Despite Wyman’s old age and noncompliance with state air quality standards, Maine does not have a plan for how to replace Wyman’s on-demand power in the winter once the facility retires. New England’s regional capacity market is broken, and the reforms currently being considered could substantially increase electricity supply costs for Maine ratepayers while failing to incentivize investment in a balanced mix of new resources. Maine’s current energy policies have encouraged growth in renewable electricity, but do not resolve the grid reliability issues we face. It is time for Maine to come up with a plan and to get to work. ~ Eben Perkins, Competitive Energy Services, Portland