Taking a page from the “throw-the-bums-out” script in politics, Mainers will vote on whether to rid themselves of the state’s two biggest private electric utilities. The referendum on the November ballot is unprecedented.
FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2022 file photo, a home in Bingham, Maine, displays signs protesting a Quebec-to-New England hydropower corridor. This fall Mainers are going to vote on whether to throw out the state’s two biggest private electric utilities. FILE - Central Maine Power Co. lineman John Baril works to restore electricity, in this March 15, 2023 file photo, in Lewiston, Maine. This fall Mainers are going to vote on whether to throw out the state’s two biggest private electric utilities.
But critics, including Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, worry about the power grid becoming politicized. They also question savings projections because of the billions of dollars needed to buy out the utilities, and worry about the prospect of lengthy litigation. Maine Public Advocate William Harwood contends legal disputes could postpone the new utility’s implementation by five to 10 years.
Nationwide, investor-owned utilities serve about 66% of electric customers, according to the American Public Power Association. Smaller co-ops and municipal utilities account for the remaining share. The anger and frustration from electric ratepayers in Maine is a far cry from the days when Iberdrola bought Central Maine Power, the state’s largest electric utility. Back in 2008, observers thought the company’s focus on renewable energy made it a good match for Maine, and CMP launched a $1.4 billion power grid upgrade that included bulked-up capacity for renewable energy.
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