Central Maine Power is seeking a rate change after state regulators denied a multi-year rate change last fall.
CMP is asking the Maine Public Utilities Commission to approve a $189 million increase in distribution rates to address what they say are upgrades and rising costs. About $70 million would be a temporary increase.
CMP said these costs would fund grid upgrades, more workers and aggressive tree trimming.
But Maine Public Advocate Heather Sanborn said that CMP’s proposal is looking to increase profits.
“CMP’s filing makes clear that the company is not only seeking to recover higher operating costs and capital investments, but also to increase its profits. This comes at a time when Maine families are already facing the rising costs of everything from gas to groceries and housing,” Sanborn said.
Sanborn said the temporary revenue increase would raise the average household’s bill by about $7 per month starting in July, but it would come just as customers would see their bills go down by about $11 a month due to storm-related costs rolling off.
“Today, we submitted a proposal that would reduce electricity bills starting this summer, striking a careful balance between affordability and reliable service. As customers face rising costs across many parts of their lives, this proposal would help ease electric bills,” said Linda Ball, president and CEO of CMP. “This plan also allows us to continue the progress CMP has made in reducing both the frequency and duration of outages. Frequent or prolonged outages can create real hardships for households, businesses, schools, healthcare providers, childcare centers, and others. Our focus remains on preventing outages whenever possible and restoring power more quickly when they do occur.”
Under the proposal, the utility says there would be no increases to distribution charges for grid improvements for 10 months, through April of 2027.
The proposal needs to be approved by the utilities commission before going into effect. If approved, the one-year plan could increase rates by up to $7 a month for the average ratepayer from May 2027 through April 2028.
In November 2025, the utilities commission rejected CMP’s proposal to increase electricity rates over a five-year period, which would have led to a rate increase of as much as $35 a month on most bills.
