This story appears as part of a collaboration to strengthen investigative journalism in Maine between the BDN and The Maine Monitor. Read more about the partnership.
MACHIASPORT, Maine — There might be some relief in sight for Machiasport’s soaring municipal electricity costs.
In an effort to reduce the town’s estimated $11,000 annual electric bill, the Machiasport Board of Selectmen approved seeking funding for two solar streetlights, signaling long‑term interest in alternative energy solutions.
The 2026 costs are nearly double the $6,000 Machiasport budgeted in 2020. The town has contracted with Versant Power as its electricity supplier for more than 90 years.
Despite the long relationship, the priority is a “reduction of the tax burden on Machiasport people,” Board of Selectmen Chair Ryan Maker said.
The solar test is being considered as part of a larger lighting project for four areas of Machiasport: the municipal complex, the Town Office, the planned town garage and the pier.
The idea, still in its brainstorming phase, would place solar streetlights in two of the locations to test their impact on public safety, effectiveness and cost savings.
More discussion is expected among the Board of Selectmen, but Town Clerk Marcia Hayward said there will be an initial cost outlay for equipment. Solar streetlights start at about $600 per unit.
The cost increases from there depending on features, such as dusk‑to‑dawn coverage and brightness controlled by a motion sensor.
Hayward said she is evaluating a $3,000 grant for risk reduction, awarded in October 2025, as the primary funding source. The timeline for the solar test has yet to be determined.
The solar streetlight discussion comes on the heels of an LED light upgrade, supported by a 2019 grant, that aimed to transition up to 75 percent of the town’s public lighting.
Hayward said updates made since the town’s initial LED investment use the low‑energy lights. They include lights installed on the east side of Machiasport at Old Bay Road and Pritchard Lane in 2023.
Versant Power owns the streetlight poles in Machiasport. If the town wants to place its own equipment on an existing pole, it must work with Versant. One option is for the town to buy the current poles from Versant, said Judy Long, the company’s senior manager of communications and brand.
The Board of Selectmen is not currently considering this option, and no costs for leasing or purchasing streetlights from Versant have been assessed.
Machiasport is not the only eastern Maine community exploring sustainable energy for long‑term cost savings.
In 2025, Ellsworth bought 500 formerly leased poles from Versant. With the town’s full LED conversion, officials estimate an 80 percent decrease in annual streetlight costs.
The project included a lease‑to‑own agreement for the lights totaling $400,000 for 500 poles, or about $800 per streetlight.
Eastport is also exploring nontraditional ways to support the city’s energy needs through a February 2026 proposal.
As municipalities grapple with rising power costs, Maine voters have shown a clear preference for competitive service providers.
In 2023, a defeated ballot initiative proposed creating a nonprofit, consumer‑owned energy service provider in Maine. Voters rejected the initiative by 70 percent, opting to remain with the network of competitive service providers overseen by the Maine Public Utilities Commission.
Despite the failed measure, concerns over Versant’s municipal costs and customer service are not new. In 2024, the utilities commission, working with Overland Consulting, conducted an audit of Versant’s management, customer service and operations.
The findings questioned the judgment of Versant’s leadership and prompted a full-scale investigation launched in 2025 that remains ongoing.
Long said she is hopeful Machiasport will work with the company on community solar options before finalizing a decision.
