Opinion: Maine deregulated electricity 26 years ago. Time for a rigorous review.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 11, 2026

In 1997, Maine enacted legislation restructuring the state’s electricity industry. Beginning in March 2000, consumers could choose among competing electricity suppliers, while utilities such as CMP continued to deliver the electricity. The premise was straightforward: Competition would provide more choices and encourage lower prices. More than a quarter-century later, it’s worth asking whether that experiment has delivered the promised benefits. Maine should reconsider whether its current system of residential electricity competition is delivering sufficient benefits to justify its complexity. I hope this becomes a priority of the next Legislature. ~ Bill Webster, Georgetown

Column: Chickadees vs. Humans

BOOTHBAY REGISTER • November 11, 2026

We humans like to think that we are unique in doing things like storing food for an unpredictable future. It’s humbling to realize that many other creatures do it, too. In general, birds have to be non-migratory residents to make food storing (caching) a strategy that can payoff. But not all resident birds store food. Crows, ravens, and jays all store food. So do chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches. Some woodpeckers do; the acorn woodpecker from the western U.S. is so named for its habit of storing loads of acorns in drilled holes in trees. But here in Maine the only regularly occurring woodpecker species that routinely stores food is the red-bellied woodpecker. ~ Jeffrey V. Wells and Allison Childs Wells

Working group to study municipal revenue impact as Kennebec River dam decommissioning plans advance

MAINE MONITOR • November 10, 2026

Skowhegan Town Manager Aaron Miller has joined the Municipal Revenue Working Group to evaluate how decommissioning of four hydroelectric dams on the lower Kennebec River will impact local finances. The Kennebec River Restoration Trust created the group as one of six committees studying the effects of removing the dams. The Nature Conservancy formed the trust last year after agreeing to purchase the facilities from Brookfield Renewable Partners. A review of tax records showed that removing the four dams would strip more than $500,000 in annual property tax revenue from Fairfield, Skowhegan, Waterville and Winslow. That estimate excludes taxes paid to Skowhegan by Sappi Ltd. for its 2,500-acre Somerset paper mill. The mill draws water from a river impoundment created by the Shawmut Dam.

Hannah Pingree says Jay shouldn’t be data center ‘testing ground’

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 10, 2026

Gov.-elect Hannah Pingree said Tuesday that Jay should not be “the testing ground” for data centers before Maine has strong regulations in place. Her comment comes one day after the owner of the former Androscoggin Mill site in Jay submitted permit applications to Maine regulators to move forward with his plan to convert the former paper mill into a data center. “Jay deserves good jobs and investment at the mill site, but not at the cost of ratepayers, neighbors or the environment,” Pingree said in a statement.

Fishermen warned about explosive found off Maine coast

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 10, 2026

Unexploded ordnance has been found about eight miles offshore from Portland. The discovery was made by the Maine Coastal Mapping Initiative. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will chart the discovery. The Maine Lobstermen’s Association advised mariners to avoid disturbing the seabed with anchoring, bottom trawling or ground fishing, and to be cautious while traveling in the vicinity of the explosive.

Massachusetts company buys two Waldo County campgrounds

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 10, 2026

Two Waldo County recreational vehicle campgrounds were sold to Moorings RV on Oct. 26. Moorings RV, based in Quincy, Mass, is part of the Modern America Campgrounds portfolio, which encompasses 19 Maine properties and 18 others across the Northeast. The Belfast property has 53 RV sites and nine lodges. The Searsport property has 45 RV sites.

Wildfire in White Mountain National Forest more than 50% contained

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 10, 2026

The Wild River Fire just over the Maine border in New Hampshire now encompasses 821 acres and is 53% contained, the U.S. Forest Service said on Tuesday. It’s on the northwest side of the Wild River, just west of Mount Hastings in Maine’s Oxford County in the White Mountain National Forest.

Paul LePage says rolling back Canadian tariffs is a priority

MAINE PUBLIC • November 10, 2026

Former Gov. Paul LePage said rolling back tariffs on Canadian goods will be a priority for him once he's sworn in as congressman for Maine's 2nd Congressional District. LePage, who is expected to win the seat following completion of a ranked-choice runoff, told Fox News that removing tariffs will help Maine consumers and help restore relations between Canada and the U.S. He cited tariffs on wood products as a primary concern. That's a clear break from Democratic Congressman Jared Golden, who largely supported the tariffs, and abandoned his reelection bid last year.

Gov.-elect Hannah Pingree announces more than a dozen key transition leaders

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 10, 2026

Gov.-elect Hannah Pingree on Tuesday unveiled the names of 22 people who will help lead her transition, vowing to cast “a wide net” as she staffs Maine’s agencies. Pingree said she wants a results-oriented cabinet of individuals with integrity, accountability and a general optimism about helping Maine people. The team of 22 will recruit and recommend candidates for Pingree’s 15 Cabinet positions. The transition team is co-chaired by Maulian Bryant, a member of the Penobscot Nation and the executive director of the Wabanaki Alliance, and Roger Katz, a Republican former state lawmaker. Among the volunteers helping Bryant and Katz to build her team:
• Judy Camuso, who led Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (2019-2026).
• Maureen Drouin, executive director of Maine Conservation Voters and the Maine Conservation Alliance.

Letter: Federal permitting reform bill would reverse environmental protections

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 10, 2026

This is in response to the recent column by Peter Dugas and Jeff Marks supporting the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA). This bill, as currently drafted, would be the most significant reversal in environmental and community protections in decades by favoring fossil fuel projects. David Watkins of the Union of Concerned Scientists writes: “BAAJA undermines bedrock environmental laws while granting the fossil fuel industry more power, more access to public lands, and less accountability. Tell Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, to ask them to vote “no” on this latest version of BAAJA. ~ Bob Lodato, Charleston

Opinion: It’s never too late to become a Junior Ranger in Maine

SUN JOURNAL • November 10, 2026

Junior Ranger programs in state and national parks educate children, require outdoor activity, invite reflection on nature and nurture creativity. At Camden Hills, children ages 4 to 7 years old must complete at least eight of the activities. Those 8 and older must complete at least 12. Junior Ranger programs emphasize the ancestral homelands of indigenous people, natural history and more recent history. I am both a Junior Ranger and a one-time state park ranger here in Maine. It’s never too late to become a Junior Ranger. No matter your age or the time of year, nature waits. ~ Doug Woodsum, Oakland, retired teacher, a Maine master naturalist and a volunteer conservationist

Gorham farm required to reimburse customers after selling 2 invasive tree species

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 10, 2026

The state is requiring a farm to refund customers who destroy invasive trees they purchased there from from May through September. Gary Fish, a Maine state horticulturist, said King’s Farm Market in Gorham had sold crimson king Norway and flame Amur maple trees from May to September after receiving an inquiry about a project involving 11 of the trees in Rangeley. Both species were placed on Maine’s “do not sell” list in 2018 because they spread quickly and disrupt natural ecosystems. Barry King, owner of King’s Farm, declined to comment when a reporter visited the farm Tuesday and said he would sue if the newspaper reported on the issue.

Planning for Jay data center moves forward, but deal not yet final

SUN JOURNAL • November 10, 2026

A proposed $550 million data center at the former Androscoggin Mill is showing signs of life again, with its original development partner back in discussions and a public meeting tentatively planned for December. Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere told the Select Board on Monday, Nov. 9, that JGT2 Redevelopment LLC, owner of the former mill property on Riley Road, has resumed efforts to move forward with Sentinel Data Centers, which withdrew from the project in June. The renewed discussions could revive one of Jay’s most significant redevelopment proposals since the paper mill closed in 2023.

South Portland’s tank farm has been linked to chronic health risks. Now what?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 10, 2026

A report recently released by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that South Portland residents living near the more than 100 petroleum tanks in the city owned by six companies could be at a higher risk of cancer and other chronic health issues as a result of long-term exposure to carcinogenic emissions detected there. Monitors along the fence line of some of the tank farms regularly logged long-term average benzene concentrations in ambient air that exceeded state guideline. Benzene is a known carcinogen, and high long-term exposure can cause cancers, including leukemia. There is no safe level of exposure to benzene. Citgo announced that it will cover its share of additional fenceline testing and invest in technology to reduce emissions. Global Partners did not say whether the company has specific plans in light of the report findings.

Developer revives data center plan for old Maine paper mill

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 9, 2026

A real estate developer filed permit applications Monday with regulators to turn the former International Paper mill site in Jay into an artificial intelligence data center, five months after his original project was put on hold. JGT2 Redevelopment, owned in part by Portland commercial real estate developer Tony McDonald, issued a public notice published Sunday that it planned to file an amended site location permit and an air emission license application with Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection.

Midcoast lobsterman who died hauling traps known for work ethic

HARPSWELL ANCHOR • November 9, 2026

In an interview Roy Knight gave for the book “Salt in Their Veins: Conversations With Coastal Mainers,” he described briefly taking a job at Bath Iron Works after the lobster season ended. The interviewer asked if he needed the money. It wasn’t about money, Roy told him: “The way I grew up, you worked.” That value is apparent from the long list of things Roy did in his life. He fished. He traveled. He raised three kids. He ran the Interstate Lobster Co-op. He and his wife, Debbie, started the Harpswell Santa Fund. They ran a catering business. He was a volunteer with Harpswell Neck Fire and Rescue.

Should you worry about parasites in your moose and deer meat?

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 9, 2026

It’s not a pleasant thought, but there is always the chance the meat from that moose or deer you harvest this season contains parasites. There can be just a few or, in rare cases, a disturbing infestation of these organisms in the animal’s muscle meat. In Maine, the most common parasites that may infect moose or deer meat are nasal bots, muscle worms and tapeworm. Depending on the amount of parasites in the meat — and how strong your stomach is — you can enjoy the meals from a successful hunt.

No PFOS found in wildlife samples from Brunswick

TOWN OF BRUNSWICK • November 9, 2026

The Town of Brunswick, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services program and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, collected tissue samples for PFOS contamination in Brunswick. The results are in, and it's good news for hunters: No PFOS was detected in white-tailed deer or wild turkeys collected at Kate Furbish Preserve and Maquoit Bay Conservation area off Bunganuc. This was announced by a wildlife health biologist and veterinarian from Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Residents with questions may email IFWPFAS@maine.gov.

New England governors call on Congress to tack on $3B in heating aid

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 9, 2026

Maine Gov. Janet Mills and five other New England governors are calling on members of Congress to provide an additional $3 billion in funding to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program ahead of this winter. “Whether through an increase in the annual appropriation or a one-time emergency supplemental funding, these additional resources are urgently needed,” the governors wrote.

Portland officials remain at odds with rail authority about plan to move Downeaster train station

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 9, 2026

In August, the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, which operates the Downeaster, received $48 million in federal funding to relocate the train service’s Portland station to the authority’s preferred spot. City staff say the rail authority’s preferred site goes against nearly every zoning and long-term planning document in place, and that its chosen location is heavily weighted toward rail operations. The three options the council will consider are to recommend the train station be left where it is; that the city’s preferred site be further explored; or that the rail authority’s preferred site move forward, with stipulations around other enhancements in the area.