The Maine Public Utilities Commission voted Nov. 18  to dismiss a five-year rate plan proposed by Central Maine Power Company.

The state's public advocate, Heather Sanborn praised the decision and said the PUC, "made the right call."

Maine's Governor Janet Mills likewise commended the rejection of the $1.4 billion rate hike.

In response, CMP, a subsidiary of Avangrid, said: “Maine is at a critical crossroads. As the state faces the impacts of extreme weather and rapidly growing energy demands, this decision represents a step backward. Affordability remains a key concern, and we are committed to finding a path forward that balances cost with system reliability. However, delaying action on essential priorities, such as grid investment, vegetation management, and staffing will ultimately cost Mainers more in the short and long run. CMP should be allowed to fairly recover costs already invested to improve the grid, and we will carefully review the Commission’s final order when it is issued.”

The PUC is not ruling out a rate increase in the future.

"Commissioners emphasized that the dismissal does not mean a rate increase will not be considered in the future, nor that CMP’s proposed system investments are unnecessary," the PUC release said. "Instead, Commissioners cited concerns with the pace of the proposed investments, the absence of a submitted long-term integrated grid plan, the impact on ratepayers, and ultimately whether CMP’s proposal could meet the just and reasonable standard applied in rate cases.  

“At a time when the Legislature has prioritized grid planning and performance standards, and affordability is a top concern, CMP’s proposal misses the mark, particularly regarding accountability, pacing of investments, and ratepayer protections,”  said Commission Chair Philip L. Bartlett II. “The Commission will open a proceeding to provide guidance on multi-year rate plans to inform future rate case filings.” 

CMP filed its rate case in September. Since then, more than 800 members of the public submitted written comments, and many attended one or both of the public witness hearings held in the matter, the PUC said.

If approved, the increase would have amounted to approximately $35 per month for the average residential customer once fully implemented over five years, the PUC said.

Public Advocate Sanborn said in her release: "At a time when thousands of Maine people are already struggling to afford their electric bills, CMP’s plan simply asked for far too much. While this decision prevents a deeply flawed proposal from moving forward right now, we know that CMP will have the opportunity to refile. In the meantime, we look forward to engaging with other stakeholders and the Commission in providing our utilities with guidance about designing a rate plan proposal that keeps affordability and improved performance as the central focus.

"The Office of the Public Advocate will scrutinize any future proposal to ensure that any increases are reasonable, necessary, and in the best interest of Maine consumers. The decision today reflects the fact that Mainers were very engaged and spoke out about the unaffordability of CMP’s proposal. Maine ratepayers deserve a voice in decisions that directly affect their household budgets, and the Office of the Public Advocate will be there to represent them every step of the way.”