LEWISTON, Maine — It was a fake tug-of-war, but a real demonstration.
On the left, wearing rat-faced masks and top hats, the electrical utility monopoly, Central Maine Power Co. On the right, Maine ratepayers dressed as native Maine animals. The battlefield: the doorstep of the Lewiston Public Library.
The demonstration, organized by a coalition opposed to CMP’s effort to raise rates on its 670,000 customers, preceded a Maine Public Utilities Commission hearing on the rate hike inside the library — the final opportunity for customers to have their comments reflected in the official record. Many said they can’t afford another $216 annually on their electric bill.
Dozens of commenters swore in before a full room to offer testimony under oath, meaning the commission can consider their comments in its final decision. This was one of just two opportunities to do so on this rate case. The first was in South Portland earlier this month.
Timothy Stevens led the left side of the line, playing the part of the utility monopoly. He recently stopped working because of a progressive spinal disability, and at 58, he had to replace his full-time job with fixed Social Security income.
Despite his role in the tug-of-war, he’s frustrated by the proposal, which would raise the average residential customer’s electricity delivery rates by about $18 per month.
“We’re being asked to tighten and tighten our belts,” Stevens said. “How much more can we take?”
CMP filed a request with the Maine Public Utilities Commission in April to raise its annual revenue by $189 million, starting with a $69 million temporary increase this summer — though that temporary increase was put on hold by the commission this month.
CMP said in the April filing that the increases would fund upgrades and improvements to Maine’s aging electrical grid as well as an expansion of the utility’s workforce to reduce reliance on out-of-state contractors.
By next summer, the average customer’s bill would go up by about $216 per year. CMP’s previous five-year rate proposal, which was rejected by the utilities commission last year, would have jumped the average customer’s rates by $400 annually.
There was one reason for hiking rates that many at the Lewiston protest and public hearing said was a step too far: CMP hopes to increase its profit margin to 9.8%, up from the 9.35% authorized by the state in 2022 during the most recent regular rate filing.
Seth Berry, the director of Our Power, one of the organizers of the demonstration and an intervenor in the rate case, served on the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology while he was in the Maine Legislature from 2006-20. Under the current return-on-investment structure, utilities are incentivized, he said, to spend on capital improvements rather than everyday operations.
The ideal profit margin would be closer to 6%, he said — a safe investment, but not incentivizing wasteful spending.
CMP said in filings to the PUC that the company has profited substantially less than its authorized amount, ranging from 3% to 5.6% since 2024. The “continued financial distress places customers at risk,” CMP said, because its credit rating could be downgraded.
Some who testified before the PUC argued CMP’s customers can’t afford to increase a monopoly’s profit margin. Stevens took to the microphone to express his own concerns.
“There’s been a lot of talk recently about the need for increased accountability,” Bristol resident David Bilski said to the commission. “I think what is at least equally important would be to change our electricity market to lower utility profits and alter the profit incentives.”
More than 275 Maine residents have provided written public comments to the utilities commission since April, many to explain the impacts of a hiked rate on their finances.
Adeline Taylor, of Fayette, said she lives on a fixed income that “cannot cover another rate increase so that CMP can have a bigger profit margin.” Bella Sturtevant, a youth organizer from Leeds, wrote that young people are choosing between groceries and electricity, while CMP shoots for a near-10% margin. Stacy Moore, a business owner in Bowdoinham, said her business has already nearly failed partially because of rising utility costs.
About two dozen electrical workers from across Maine also attended the hearing, and a few asked the commission to approve CMP’s hike to secure future Maine-based career positions.
Many who spoke against the rate hike tempered their opposition by supporting job creation and raises for line workers.
A few others supported the increases. Somerville tax collector Jon Amirault said CMP deserves more profit because it provides valuable property tax income and job growth to many of Maine’s small towns.
“I’d love to see more money for them to hire more linemen, to get some of these modern upgrades done,” he said. “Give them the money. Their costs go up. They’re paying eight bucks at the pump, too.”
The PUC will take months to review the case and all the evidence, including Tuesday’s sworn testimony.
A final decision is expected early next year, but CMP is expected to file a multiyear rate schedule soon afterward.
This story was originally published by the Maine Trust for Local News. Ethan Horton can be reached at ehorton@centralmaine.com.