Maine utilities and their fiercest critics oppose Janet Mills’ accountability proposal

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 22, 2022

Gov. Janet Mills’ accountability bill would establish more specific penalties for Central Maine Power and Versant Power if they do not meet baseline performance standards and create a process for forcing asset sales if those standards are not consistently met. The utilities would also have to submit quarterly reports and submit plans for how to address climate change. But CMP and Versant Power and their major critics are finding fault with the effort for different reasons. Utilities say the bill goes too far and that the standards and reports could be wielded unfairly against them for costs and circumstances beyond their control, while opponents say the measure does not go far enough.