In Maine, electricity billing is separated into a supplier portion and a distribution portion. Suppliers generate electrical power, ideally from wind turbines, solar arrays, and hydropower plants. Distributors manage the transmission of electricity between the suppliers and the end users. In Maine, distributors include Central Maine Power, Versant Power, and several rural cooperatives.
One of the issues before the Maine Public Utilities Commission now is how to match the long-term means of distribution to the mix of suppliers in such a way that will minimize customer costs, enable renewable energy projects of all sizes, provide for reliable electrical energy, and allow for meeting the state’s goals regarding the renewable energy portion of electrical supply. Sierra Club Maine will carefully monitor the progress of this issue and make sure that renewable energy is given its best chance to meet Maine’s electrical demands.
In the February 2023 address to the legislature, Governor Janet Mills called for 100% renewable energy generation for the Maine electrical supply by 2040. Sierra Club Maine supports the public buyout of Central Maine Power and Versant Power as a key step in achieving this goal.
Resources
- Maine Public Utilities Commission notice on grid planning
- Sierra Club Maine's opinion editorial on the all-renewables by 2040 goal of Governor Mills
- The Our Power campaign to create the public power company called Pine Tree Power