With electric bills increasing faster than inflation, Rep. Seth Berry, a Bowdoinham Democrat, is proposing lawmakers look at how distribution costs are set by the Public Utilities Commission.
Berry says Mainers can’t afford to wait to address the issue.
“We really can’t wait an entire year to start examining these issues because of what’s at stake for our economy and the challenges these pending further increases present,” he says.
For decades, Maine has split the electric bills you receive between the cost of generating the electricity and the cost of distributing it. Berry says it’s time to review how those distribution costs are figured with the aim of lowering overall electric bills.
“Maine has some of the highest electricity costs in the nation and most of this is driven by the delivery portion of the bill, which has increased by 80 percent in the last 10 years. Due to several recent developments, CMP and Emera Maine’s electricity bills are expected to increase even more in the coming year,” he says.
A majority of legislative leaders voted to allow the bill to be considered in the January session.
