Background
The Maine Legislature is considering LD 359 ("An Act to Prohibit Net Energy Billing by Certain Customers") and LD 450 ("An Act to Lower Electricity Costs by Repealing the Laws Governing Net Energy Billing"). These bills aim to repeal Maine's Net Energy Billing (NEB) laws, which currently subsidize solar and other renewable energy projects. Many electricity ratepayers believe NEB increases costs for consumers without providing sufficient benefits.
The Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, February 27 at 25, 2025, at 9:00 AM (was 2/25 at 1:00 PM) at:📍 Cross Building, Room 211, 111 Sewall St., Augusta
If you cannot attend in person, you may submit testimony via Zoom or online before the hearing using this link: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/
🔹 Steps to submit testimony online:
1️⃣ Click: "Public Hearing".
2️⃣ Choose a committee: "Energy, Utilities and Technology" - using the drop-down menu.
3️⃣ Choose date: February 27, 2025, 9:00 AM (was February 25, 2025, 1:00 PM) - using the drop-down menu.
4️⃣ Click: LD 359-An Act to Prohibit Net Energy Billing by Certain Customers (since the public hearing is for both bills, you really only need to submit once). However, you may also select LD 450 instead--or both.
5️⃣ Enter your testimony in the box (or click the checkbox if you want to testify via Zoom).
6️⃣ Complete your contact information.
7️⃣ Click: "I'm not a robot"
8️⃣ Click: "Submit/Register".
[Updated] To see submitted testimonies to get other wording ideas, visit: https://legislature.maine.gov/ctl/EUT/02-27-2025?panel=2&time=0&sortdir=0&sortby=2 and click on the respective bill number(s).
Action Time-Window
⚠️ Please consider taking action by February 25, 2025.
Letter from the Community
The below is the letter a community member drafted himself. Feel free to personalize it and send it.
I support LD 359 “An Act to Prohibit Net Energy Billing by Certain Customers” and LD 450 “An Act to Lower Electricity Costs by Repealing the Laws Governing Net Energy Billing.”
We as electricity ratepayers throughout the state are paying several hundred dollars more per year for our electricity, to subsidize solar or otherwise “green” energy initiatives. As I see it, we are subsidizing the Chinese solar panel industry, and out-of-state solar panel installation companies, with little to no benefit to us as ratepayers.
With the extremely high cost of our electricity supply, and with Central Maine Power periodically increasing our electricity delivery rate, our state should be working tirelessly to reduce our electricity costs, not watch them continuously go up. Per WalletHub, Maine has the fourth highest total tax burden of the 50 states. Net energy billing is just another tax that should be eliminated. I understand in 2023, CMP delivered over 62,000 disconnect notices to consumers. About 10% of all Maine households. People are struggling. That’s disgraceful.
Let’s drive those electricity costs down, not up!
Again, I support LD 359 and LD 450, and they “ought to pass.”
Credit
Credit for the above goes to our community member Danny (@DannyEmerson61) from the South Berwick Republican Committee (@BerwickSouth).
Disclaimer
A community member has shared this personal template for those who wish to express their views on LD 359 and LD 450. This template is not an official PTP position, and using it is entirely up to you. Pine Tree Patriots encourages civic participation but does not endorse or support specific actions or policies. Please remember this is an individual initiative.
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