No free ride for data centers, stronger performance-based rates for utilities, and streamlined permitting will lower energy bills for Maine families
Portland, ME — With energy costs in Maine higher and rising faster than most of the US, and Mainers struggling to heat their homes and keep the lights on, gubernatorial candidate Angus King III today called for a Ratepayer Bill of Rights to lower costs for Maine families, improve reliability, and ensure that new energy development works for the people of Maine.
“The system has let us down, and it’s time to start thinking differently to fix it. Maine people are paying too much for energy, at a time when every dollar really makes a difference,” King said. “It doesn’t have to be this way, and we can make policy choices that put Maine families first. This Ratepayer Bill of Rights will do just that, by making energy-intensive data centers cover the cost of increased energy usage, holding utilities accountable with better performance-based rates, and lowering the cost of new energy like wind and solar.”
King, who has decades of hands-on experience as a leader in the energy sector in Maine and around the world, added, “Maine needs a fundamentally different approach, as the old path that got us here isn’t going to get us out. I’ve spent my life working on energy solutions that lower costs and reduce emissions, so I know first-hand we can do better in Maine.”
King’s Ratepayers Bill-of-Rights centers on six core rights for Maine families:
● A Right to Pay Lower Costs. We shouldn’t have to pay 6x more for new energy projects in Maine than they do in other countries. By streamlining regulatory and permitting processes and programs, we can reduce the cost of new energy like wind and solar and bring relief to Maine families, while still protecting our natural environment.
● A Right to Fairness. We should not subsidize massive energy users like data centers. If they want to come to Maine, they should pay for increased grid and generation demands so they don’t raise costs for the rest of us. No free ride for data centers.
● A Right to Efficiency. We should not pay for expensive upgrades before ensuring utilities are using the existing grid as efficiently as possible. Through innovation, technology and planning we can improve reliability and reduce costs without paying for expensive upgrades.
● A Right to Accountability. We should pay performance-based rates for energy that lower costs, so utilities have incentives for lowering costs, not just for building expensive new lines. Existing PBR programs should be expanded to drive greater results.
● A Right to a Better Deal. Mainers deserve energy programs that put them first. The state must negotiate deals involving transmission and generation to ensure they lower costs, create jobs and improve reliability here in Maine.
● A Right to a New Plan of Action. We need an up to date integrated plan of action that matches the needs of families and aligns affordability, reliability and clean energy goals, and then delivers results.
As the founder and former president of Peaks Renewables, Angus King III has hands-on-experience tackling energy challenges with innovative solutions. At Peaks, he brought together utilities, farmers, clean energy and community leaders, and thousands of cows to build a digester that turns manure into renewable energy. Today, the digester is churning out clean energy, putting Mainers to work, heating Maine homes, and lowering emissions. Earlier in his career, Angus worked to build wind and solar projects across the country and around the world.