BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 29, 2022
Lawmakers missed a chance to decide Maine’s electricity future when Mills vetoed a bill last year to establish a consumer-owned utility replacing Central Maine Power Co. and Versant Power after years of poor showing in approval polls and the referendum defeat of the $1 billion CMP corridor. Advocates are now taking it to the ballot box in 2023, with CMP’s parent already spending $10 million against the question. Even if utility critics win, they may not win. There are plenty of questions about their referendum, including the cost of buying out CMP and Versant’s infrastructure and whether forcing them to sell is constitutional. This could drag out in the courts for a long time.