Central Maine Power (CMP) — the state’s largest electric utility, serving nearly 650,000 households — is again looking to implement a more than $400 million rate increase over the next five years.
If approved by the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Mainers who receive their electricity through CMP will see their monthly distribution rates go up by a total of $35 between 2026 and 2031.
The most substantial hike would occur in the first year, when ratepayers would see their bills rise by $17 per month, or $204 annually. Over the next several years, Mainers would see their electric bills go up $4 to $5 per month annually.
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All told, the average household would be paying CMP $420 more each year for their electricity if these rate changes are approved.
These dollar-amount estimates are based on an average monthly household usage of 550 kilowatt-hours.
This request comes just weeks after the Maine PUC approved a 3.3 percent rate increase, which translate to a nearly $5 monthly increase for the average ratepayer.
According to Commission Chair Philip L. Bartlett II, these recently enacted rate hikes were primarily a result of expenses related to recent storm recovery costs.
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This newest round of price hikes are said to be going toward hiring 400 new, full-time employees — including 200 line workers — and funding infrastructure improvements, such as stronger poles, upgraded substations, and better protected wires.
A notice shared by the Maine PUC indicates that, if approved, the first of these rate hikes would take effect on October 1, 2026.
In a statement shared by CMP announcing the proposed rate hikes, the utility suggests that their plain “seeks to minimize the financial net impact” as “hundreds of millions of dollars in one-time storm costs are cycled off customer bills.”
The plan is designed “to take components of the extremely high storm costs, embed them in our base rates and lower the costs we pay for storms over time,” CMP spokesperson Jonathan Breed said in July, according to the Portland Press Herald.
“Today, we are submitting a structured plan to help stabilize the impact and cost of extreme weather in Maine,” said Linda Ball, President and CEO of Central Maine Power, said in a statement Tuesday.
“Year-round, our electric grid is challenged by extreme heat in the summer and powerful storms in the winter,” Ball said. “That’s why we’re planning to invest in a stronger, more resilient grid, built by a growing, Maine-based workforce trained right here in our state.”
Over the next five years, these targeted investments will not only enhance reliability but also provide greater financial stability and predictability for our customers,” she said.
Public Advocate Heather Sanborn, who represents ratepayers in utility proceedings, has called the company’s requested revenue increase “eye-popping,” urging for affordability to be prioritized.
“At a time when many families are already struggling to afford their bills, CMP’s proposal asks Mainers to pay even more,” Sanborn said in a written statement.
“We need to ensure electricity distribution costs don’t spiral out of control, especially as our state encourages people to electrify their homes and vehicles to meet climate goals,” said Sanborn. “Affordability must remain front and center.”
Gov. Janet Mills (D) quickly issued a statement condemning CMP’s proposed rate hike, suggesting that the utility was demonstrating a lack of awareness for the economic realities facing Mainers.
“Today’s request from CMP blatantly ignores the economic reality that Maine people face every day, especially seniors on fixed incomes, small businesses, and residents of rural Maine, who are struggling with high costs of electricity, groceries, housing and health care,” said Gov. Mills. “Yet CMP wants to raise their electricity bills again.”
“I recognize that investing in our grid to improve reliability is important, but this request is massive and unacceptable,” the governor wrote. “It undermines legislation I signed to ensure planned electric utility investments are transparent and are made with input from Maine people.”
“I have directed the Governor’s Energy Office to intervene in opposition to CMP’s request, in order to safeguard the interests of Maine ratepayers and uphold the requirements CMP must follow under Maine law,” she added.
Over the next few weeks, Mainers will have the opportunity to weigh in directly on CMP’s proposed rate hikes through the PUC.
Mainers can submit written comment here using the code 2025-00218 or participate in one of the upcoming public hearings.
The first of these hearings is scheduled to take place at the Hilton Garden Inn, located at 5 Park St. in Freeport, on October 14 at 6pm.
The second will be held the next day, October 15, at the Maine Public Utilities Commission, located at 26 Katherine Drive in Hallowell, also beginning at 6pm.
As of this article’s publication, 275 public comments have already been submitted to the Maine PUC regarding these proposed rate hikes.
