PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 10, 2021
Frustrated by months of delays, members of Maine’s solar industry say Central Maine Power’s inability to complete interconnection studies on time is putting projects in jeopardy, and they are asking the state Public Utilities Commission to oversee the process. The consequence of CMP’s inaction is that two years after lawmakers passed a landmark bill promoting solar development, the utility is still at least six months from having results for the vast majority of these cluster studies. CMP is working hard to complete the studies amid shifting requirements and with a limited pool of qualified experts. CMP has pushed 145 projects through the process to date. However, another 196 projects are awaiting completed studies.