Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power - Maine
Maine community solar companies sue over changes to net energy billing laws
A group of 11 companies claim a monthly charge that could start in January violates their constitutional rights.
Communities:
11/24/25
Daniel Kool
Staff Writer
EXCERPTS
Community solar companies across Maine sued the Public Utilities Commission Monday, attempting to block the implementation of a new law designed to reduce the impact of solar development subsidies on the state’s electricity customers.
A group of 11 companies are claiming the law, which modifies Maine’s long-fought-over net energy billing program, violates their constitutional rights.
The law, passed earlier this year, restructured the program, including by creating a monthly charge for some community solar projects based on their size. Those charges could range from $2,800 to $30,000, depending on how much electricity a given system is capable of producing, and are designed to offset the distribution costs that could otherwise fall to ratepayers.
But the community solar companies claim it would cause “immediate and irreparable harm” to their businesses and are asking for a preliminary injunction before Jan. 1, when the new law is slated to take effect..............................
.........................The Maine Office of the Public Advocate forecast that the new law would save electricity customers about $1.2 billion over the next 16 years. The existing net billing law is currently forecast to cost Mainers — including those who do not participate — more than $230 million this year, according to the public advocate.
A spokesperson for the utilities commission said its attorneys had just received and were still reviewing the lawsuit after 4 p.m., referring questions to the Maine Office of the Attorney General. A spokesperson for the AG’s office said they were unable to confirm whether it is representing the utilities commission in this case.
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Dan McKay
And I wish I could sue everytime the State raises income taxes or sales tax or fees for the multitude of licenses demanded we acquire. These unscrupulous, out of state shysters, who could have helped write the community solar laws are scam artisits, jingling their 10%-15% savings to unexpecting individuals, commercial businesses and their new favorite target; municipalities. On their own admittance, their rate of return on investment is 7 years. Imagine a 20 year contract that has a 7 year ROI.
And they have the gall to threaten subscribers by stating in their own words: "Tens of thousands of Maine households and institutions currently save 10–20% on their electricity bills through community solar. LD 1777 would jeopardize those savings by imposing charges many projects can’t absorb,"
We know in March 2025, CMP stated that the portion of the "Service Charge' applied to your residential electric bill attributle to Net Energy Billing was $7.06 per month($ 84.72 per year) With the October, 2025 rate hike, this NEB cost went to $8.84 per month per the OPA, ( $106.08 per year) A $21.36 increase. When these scam artists came to my hometown and offered the select board a subscription that they said would save the town $200,000 on Town Accounts over 20 years, the board lovingly and promptly bought into the scam. Well, my pencil came out and $200,000 over 20 years averages $10,000 per year. My town has 1193 individual property taxpayers, so $10,000 per year divided by 1193 is $8.38 per year per taxpayer. So, with the "service charge " on bills going up $21.36 in six months (March to October) due to Net Energy Billing, which extrapolated for 12 months is $42.72, I and my fellow hometown taxpayers get to pay $42.72 per year for a $8.38 savings on our property tax bill.
Anyone holding a subscription with these snake-oil salesmen should immediately cancel their contracts with them and the State should immediately put a stop to Net Energy Billing and start devising a method so that CMP customers can recover their losses.
on Wednesday
Dan McKay
The Office of the Public Advocate states that LD 1777 "reduces payments to large-scale community solar projects by approximately 20%."
So, here is the rub. Subscribers to Community Solar are required for the projects to receive the generous subsidies built into the program.
Will subscribers continue to contract to Community Solar without the 10% to 15% bill reduction offers?
How can Community Solar threaten subscribers with the removal of this 10% to15% savings without losing subscribers?
on Wednesday
Dudley G. Gray
Just who are the eleven companies?
on Wednesday