HALLOWELL, Maine (AP) Central Maine Power notified regulators Thursday of plans to submit a proposal for improving power grid reliability that would increase monthly bills by $10 over three years.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and Public Advocate Bill Harwood immediately attacked the proposal as excessive in light of inflationary pressures on Mainers’ pocketbooks.
“There is simply no way that increasing folks’ electricity bills right now can be considered just and reasonable. I will fight this,” Mills said.
CMP’s request covers only for the costs of bringing electricity into people’s homes. Under the proposal, the monthly bill for a typical CMP residential customer would grow by $10 by 2026.
That’s separate from the actual cost of electricity, which already increased CMP bills this year because of surging costs.
The upgrades and improvements would make the power grid better prepared to weather storms. It also would position the power grid for the connection of new renewable energy projects.
The Maine Public Utilities Commission would have to sign off on CMP’s plan, which is expected to be filed this summer.
