ASSOCIATED PRESS • October 31, 2022
Advocates of replacing Maine’s privately owned electric utilities with a consumer-owned Pine Tree Power Company are submitting signatures to force a statewide vote, officials said Monday. If certified, the petitions would put the proposal to oust Central Maine Power and Versant Power on the referendum ballot next year. Opponents countered by announcing they had signatures for their own referendum targeting what they called a seizure of utilities that could increase, not reduce, electric rates. That proposal would require public approval of debts over $1 billion — effectively requiring an extra vote to take on debt to buy the utilities.