Rep. Reagan Paul: Maine’s 67% Renewable Energy Claim is a Scam—And You’re Paying the Price

By Reagan PaulFebruary 18, 2025Updated:February 18, 202519 Comments

Maine politicians love to brag that 67 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources. Sounds impressive, right? It’s a lie—one designed to mislead hardworking Mainers into accepting skyrocketing energy costs while wealthy developers and politicians cash in. This isn’t about clean energy or energy independence. It’s about forcing you to pay more while they rake in the profits.

The Renewable Energy Lie

The 67 percent figure only counts electricity generated in Maine, not the power Mainers actually use. What else can we generate when we tear down nuclear and hydro? And here’s the kicker: much of our so-called “renewable” energy is exported to other states, while we rely on natural gas, hydro imports from Canada, and even oil to keep the lights on. The ISO New England (ISO-NE) grid—where our real power comes from—shows a very different picture, with natural gas making up over 50 percent of the region’s electricity. And wind and solar? They don’t work when we need them. Wind turbines in Maine only generate power about 30 percent of the time, and solar? A pathetic 15 percent. When the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing, we’re still dependent on fossil fuels. But they don’t want you to know that. Wind and solar never register very high in ISO-NE on any given day. What that means is that you pay the price to generate expensive renewables for climate virtue signaling, while what you actually use is generated by cheaper forms of generation.

Your Electric Bills Are Going Up—Because of This Scam

Maine’s radical renewable mandates force you to buy expensive, unreliable energy while rewarding wealthy developers, foreign corporations, and the political class pushing this agenda. Wind and solar can’t survive without massive government subsidies—subsidies paid for by you. And offshore wind, the next big con, is expected to double or even triple electricity costs. Now, Heather Sanborn, Maine’s new Public Advocate, is working to raise your rates even higher. Instead of advocating for you, she’s testifying in support of time-of-use (TOU) pricing—a scheme designed to punish you for using electricity when you actually need it.

The Grid Is Becoming Less Reliable

Maine is pushing out stable, affordable energy sources like natural gas and nuclear in favor of intermittent wind and solar. What happens when supply gets tight? Higher prices, rolling blackouts, and a grid that can’t keep up. We already rely on imports to meet demand—what happens when those sources run dry?

Now They Want to Control When You Use Electricity

As if higher electric rates weren’t enough, Maine Democrats are introducing time-of-use (TOU) pricing—a scheme designed to punish you for using electricity when you actually need it. This means higher rates during peak hours, like when you cook dinner or heat your home, forcing you to change your habits or get gouged. It’s not about efficiency—it’s about controlling your behavior while they cash in.

Maine Has Spent Billions—and Produces Less Energy Than Ever

Here’s the ultimate proof that Maine’s renewable energy agenda is a complete failure: according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Maine is producing 30% less electricity today than it did decades ago, even though we’ve spent $3 billion on renewable energy projects since 2019. That’s right—after billions of your tax dollars and higher electricity bills, we’re generating less power than before. This isn’t progress. It’s a deliberate effort to make electricity more expensive while giving sweetheart deals to politically connected renewable energy companies.

The Truth About Janet Mills’ Renewable Energy Jobs Lie

Gov. Janet Mills (D) and her allies claim that Maine’s green energy push is creating 15,000 jobs. But that’s just another fabrication. These so-called “green jobs” include temporary construction work and positions in industries that barely exist. As a matter of fact, in a 2024 independent study that Maine taxpayers paid $35,000 for, “clean energy workers” can include carpenters, roofers, electricians, office clerks, and cost estimators, among other professions, including CMP and Versant workers. Meanwhile, Mainers are being forced to pay some of the highest electricity rates in the nation, all to prop up a renewable energy fantasy that benefits out-of-state corporations more than local workers.

The Bottom Line: Mainers Deserve Real Energy Solutions

The “67 percent renewable” claim is nothing more than political propaganda, designed to make you believe Maine is leading the way in clean energy while you foot the bill for their reckless policies. If they really cared about affordable, reliable energy, they’d be investing in nuclear, natural gas, and hydropower—not forcing us to rely on expensive, unreliable wind and solar and introducing behavior modification policies like TOU pricing. Mainers deserve better than skyrocketing electric bills and empty promises. It’s time for policies that prioritize affordability and reliability over political games. Demand real energy solutions that work—for you, not for their wallets.

Reagan Paul

Rep. Reagan L. Paul is a Republican of Winterport who represents House District 37. A graduate of Liberty University, she sits on the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee.

https://www.themainewire.com/2025/02/maines-67-renewable-energy-cla...

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