CMP drops controversial renewable energy fee
Central Maine Power Co. has withdrawn its controversial proposal to charge homeowners and businesses a “standby” fee for generating some of their own power with renewable energy sources.
The Portland Press Herald reported that the fee that faced opposition from many groups, including the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, was dropped as part of a proposed rate-case settlement that would raise electricity bills by $3 a month for homeowners, which would help pay for distribution costs. The standby charge for homeowners and businesses generating some of their own electricity would have been a major departure from past agreements.
The settlement, which will be considered by the Maine Public Utilities Commission on July 29, has been endorsed by business and environmental groups that were previously listed as intervenors in CMP’s Alternative Rate Plan 2014 proposal. Those groups include the Conservation Law Foundation, Natural Resources Council of Maine, GridSolar LLC, Industrial Energy Consumer Group and the Maine Independent Colleges Association.
However, one group, Environment Northeast, criticized the rate-design change in CMP’s settlement, saying it would charge more to customers who have less demand for electricity.
“The rate design changes are unfair because they will result in the most dramatic distribution charge bill increases (13% to 25%) for consumers who have taken steps in the past to reduce their energy usage through investments in conservation, energy efficiency, or distributed generation like solar photovoltaics, while above average users will see their electric bills decrease,” the group said in a statement to Mainebiz.
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