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.
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/11/24/maine-community-solar-compan...
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Maine as Third World Country:
CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power
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Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT
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(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/
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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law
Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future
"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."
https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/
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