Solar Advocates Say New Installations Would Lower — Not Raise — Electricity Prices For Mainers

Last year Maine’s legislature and governor enacted a grab bag of programs aimed at bringing more solar power online. The new legislation produced some quick, high-value projects, some duds, and a debate over what lessons lawmakers should bring into the next legislative session. Last month, Maine’s Public Utilities Commission released a report finding that if all of the small- to mid-size commercial and “community” solar projects on the table were to actually be built, the state’s major utilities could lose up to $160 million a year. But solar industry advocates say those numbers are vastly exaggerated. A report by Cambridge-based consultant Synapse shows that over a 5-year period, new solar projects in the region saved consumers more than a billion dollars, including $68 million in Maine.