MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • June 18, 2023
Maine residents are about to be bombarded with a multimillion-dollar public relations campaign aimed at saving the state’s two dominant electric utilities from being voted out of existence in November. Supporters want to buy out the assets of Central Maine Power and Versant Power – which distribute 97% of the state’s electricity – and replace them with Pine Tree Power, a new not-for-profit distribution utility. The ballot initiative was launched by a citizens group called Our Power. It’s already been outspent 17 to 1 by the parent companies of the two utilities – Avangrid and Enmax. Together, the two legacy power companies have given $18.4 million to three ballot committees to fight the existential threat.