Things You Probably Shouldn't Blame on Central Maine Power

You have probably received this CMP notice at the end of this blog entry.

But, first, let's see how the power system got to where it is:

This paragraph entry of the CMP notice caught my eye: "Twenty-five years ago, Maine changed the way electricity was supplied."  This was the period when Maine's chief executive was none other than the Honorable Angus King. He oversaw the decoupling of generation from Maine utilities; he also oversaw the "Maine Energy Management Office".  It wasn't long before everyone understood the connection of the decoupling with the "Energy Management Office". 

Old Angus started the "Renewable Age" with the "Renewable Portfolio Standard"(RPS), starting with the Class II mandate, dictating that 30% of Maine's power to be produced by renewable resources. That was easy for him, because Maine was already at least 30% renewable. With the door opened, Angus could see expansion of the RPS and handed it over to the following Governor Baldacci and Maine ratepayers have suffered since.

CMP could very well have noted that they have other collectables beyond their control, as well as being a collection agency for the "Standard Offer"(S.O.) which has had several increases over the years encompassing the renewable energy expansion period started with King and Baldacci. It could be that nearly half of the Standard Offer Rate is triggered by renewable policies. The biggest offenders being RGGI and the Renewable Energy Certificate which is coupled with the RPS. Renewables, being notoriously intermittent, also cause chaos among the other, reliable resources (natural gas, hydro, oil, nuclear), that bump up the S.O. And because nothing has been done to relieve the natural gas pipeline bottleneck that has plagued the grid since King/Baldacci, even more costs are piled onto the S.O.

CMP must collect for Net Energy Billing (NEB) and administer the transfer of great sums of money to scheming solar installers and receive compensation only for the complex paperwork involved. They also collect for the Power Purchase Arrangements (PPA) made by the PUC, chaired by yet another Democrat, Philip Bartlett II.  These PPAs include wind, solar, biomass and hydro projects, annually costing ratepayers through the CMP delivery bill. CMP must feel like slaves to the Maine PUC and CMP gets wrongly chastised by the unknowing electric customers. 

Some of us miss the old days when CMP owned and managed power supply for a large portion of Maine. At least, those days customers could rightfully point the finger at CMP for rates. Never heard about rationing power and coming risks of power blackouts during those days.

So much for a competitive electricity supply market. The Democrats developed a plan to convince the people that the "new" competitive market would lower rates. Having made that work, they, then, hijacked the market and since the days of King/Baldacci have skyrocketed rates and blamed CMP. Janet Mills has not disappointed her fellow Democrats. We can only hope this nightmare concludes with her and tear it all down and actually have a "competitive market" with no renewables.

Important Update: Your 2026 Standard Offer Electric Supply Rate and What It Means for You        The Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) has announced that Standard Offer electricity supply rates will increase by approximately $11–$12 per month for the average CMP customer starting on January 1, 2026.       This change is not a CMP decision and does not generate income or profit for CMP.   Maine’s Standard Offer supply price is managed on a yearly basis by the MPUC. CMP is legally required to collect these charges on behalf of other unregulated energy companies. These supply charges do not support grid improvements, reliability upgrades, or other programs like tree care. The increase is mainly because of higher natural gas prices in Maine’s deregulated wholesale electricity market. Twenty-five years ago, Maine changed the way electricity was supplied. The state deregulated electricity generation and required utilities, like CMP, to sell their generating facilities. The goal was to encourage market competition by shifting electricity supply from regulated utilities to unregulated corporations. While this opened the market up for more competition, it also created price volatility for customers due to factors like changing fuel prices, energy demand and power availability, and removed regulatory oversight of the generating companies. If you have questions about Maine’s Standard Offer procurement process, one option you have is to contact the Consumer Assistance & Safety Division (CASD) of the Maine Public Utilities Commission. They are available to help customers with utility-related issues or questions and can be contacted at 800.452.4699. Likewise, you may also contact the Office of the Public Advocate (OPA). The OPA is legally responsible for representing the interests of Maine consumers in utility and rate matters. You can contact the OPA by emailing OPA.Admin@maine.gov. CMP is committed to keeping you informed and supporting you through these changes. For energy-saving tips, flexible payment options or assistance with your bill, visit cmpco.com or call our Customer Contact Center at 800.750.4000. Thank you for being a valued customer