Maine Tackles High Electricity Rates with New Affordability Law
Maine has taken steps to address its high electricity rates by passing a new law aimed at making affordability a priority. The law, which went into effect earlier this year, requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to publish data on transmission and distribution rates.
The PUC must also conduct a comprehensive review of each component of electric delivery rates, including customer costs. Additionally, it must develop an 'affordability metric' to help lower electricity costs and prevent them from rising as quickly as they have been.
Maine has one of the highest residential electricity rates in the country, with an average cost of $0.28 per kilowatt-hour compared to the national average of $0.20 per kilowatt-hour.
The high rates are largely due to natural gas prices, which have been driven up by supply costs. Heather Sanborn, Maine's Public Advocate, explained that 'supply prices are being pushed up mostly by the cost of natural gas.'