PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 2, 2021
A federal judge has ruled against an effort to dismiss a lawsuit challenging Central Maine Power’s opt-out fees for its “smart meter” program. A Bowdoinham man with an incurable form of lymphoma filed a lawsuit contending that CMP is violating his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act by insisting that he pay $40 upfront and $15.71 a month to replace his digital smart meter with an analog version. Ed Friedman refused to pay the additional fees, and when he rebuffed the company’s demand that he pay $665.55 in accumulated charges and late fees in 2016, CMP cut off his power.