MAINE PUBLIC • October 23, 2023
A dip in natural gas prices from last year could moderate Maine electricity rates, but regulators caution that the war between Israel and Hamas threatens that trend. Natural gas prices are currently running about 25% less than they were a year ago, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent prices soaring.Maine ratepayers felt that spike acutely because electricity generation here is heavily reliant on natural gas. Public Utilities Commission chairman Phil Bartlett told the state's revenue forecasting commission Monday that he's hopeful that the current drop in natural gas will provide some relief in electricity rates, just as it has for some other states in the region. However, Bartlett said the conflict in the Middle East could send prices back on the upswing, especially if the war between Israel and Hamas widens.