House Republicans continue to focus on rising energy costs and offer solutions
This is Rep. Reagan Paul of Winterport with the weekly Republican address.
Mainers electric bills have skyrocketed and there’s no end in sight.
When combined with the rising costs associated with the Biden Administration, the average Maine family is paying $7,500 more to live in Maine than in January of 2021. That is an additional $625 a month.
Much of that $625 is higher gas, heating oil, and electric costs.
House Republicans have been working to draw attention to the price increases and the failure of state energy polices to lower costs or prevent additional increases going forward.
This past session, our members offered several solutions designed to:
- Expand supply to lower prices
- Reduce costs, and
- Ensure bill pricing transparency
When the Public Advocate warned that the Legislature needed to act by July 1 to prevent solar farm growth and net energy billing from costing Maine ratepayers $200 million more a year, we offered solutions to address the problem.
When it appeared that legislation was destined to fail, we worked with a handful of Democrats on a bipartisan proposal to reduce costs.
Democrat leaders and solar industry lobbyists killed that proposal.
Most recently, House Republicans spread the alarm over the “California Rule” energy proposal being considered by the unelected Maine Board of Environmental Protection to mandate the sale of electric vehicle in order to eliminate gas powered cars and trucks over time.
House Republicans alerted the media and turned out in force at the Public Hearing to testify against a terrible policy that would hurt Maine consumers and our economy.
House Republicans have been sounding the alarm since energy costs began rising in 2021. We will continue to do so going forward.
This week, we are asking listeners to two questions:
- How have you been impacted by higher energy costs?
- What policies do you personally think are responsible for higher energy costs?
Your opinion matters to us.
This coming session, Maine House Republican Republicans will continue to offer solutions and explore ways to lower costs.
An informed, engaged public is critical to our efforts to turn things around in Maine.
This has been Rep. Reagan Paul with the Weekly Republican Radio Address.
I’d like to thank you for listening, subscribing, sharing and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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