Rep. Caleb Ness (R-Fryeburg)
The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) announced that our electricity bills increased again in July. Maine’s Public Advocate and legislative Republicans have been warning about this for years. I joined with my fellow Republicans, and a handful of Democrats, to try and lower electric rates this past session. Several bills to lower excessive solar farm profits failed when lobbyists got involved. We will all continue to pay extra even if we are not connected to wind farms.
Residential ratepayers and Maine’s small businesses will be paying even higher amounts for the “stranded cost” portion of your electric bill. This is the part of the bill that subsidizes the solar projects that now cover our landscape. It is called Net Energy Billing.
Simply put, wind and solar companies are paid .20 cents per kilowatt to deliver a product that costs as little as .05 cents to generate. This is allegedly done to move us away from cheaper fossil fuels. What most people do not know is that solar farms in Maine cannot function without oil and natural gas.
Rather than blame failed government energy policies, consumers often place the blame for high bills on Versant or CMP. The Net Energy Billing portion of the bill is the fault of the legislature. Companies are required to pass that increase and other hidden subsidy costs along to consumers on their bills.
Consider:
- Standard offer rates increased 132.06% between 2014 and 2023 because of more expensive solar required under the Renewable Portfolio Standard.
- The Public Utilities Commission says we must pay even more for solar subsidies.
- For CMP, stranded costs will go up 93% to $183 million.
- Some businesses will be subject to a “job-killing solar tax,” one small business bill is going up over 1,660%. Another medium size business will go from $431.56 a month to $3,494.46 (709.73% increase).
- Maine’s nonpartisan Public Advocate Bill Harwood says it will cost $4 billion over 20 years. In a May 12 interview with WGME, he said: “It requires CMP and Versant power to pay approximately 20 cents per kilowatt hour for solar energy that costs less than 10 cents a kilowatt hour to generate,” Harwood said. “They then make up this difference by adding it to the rates charged to rate payers.”
I am not against rooftop solar, but I am against having low income Mainers subsidize something they themselves cannot afford to buy. It should be about lowering energy prices because the cost of food and all other essential items needed to live are directly tied to energy costs.
I am honored to serve as your State Representative. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance with state matters. I can be reached at Caleb.Ness@legislature.maine.gov or call 207 287-1440. Thank you for your interest reading this, your input and support.
Sincerely,
Rep. Caleb Ness (R-Fryeburg)