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Phil Coupe is a co-founder of ReVision Energy.

Recent concerns about rising utility bills overlook and misconstrue the proven benefits solar policies deliver to Maine’s economy and environment. Multiple independent studies of Maine’s solar net metering policy have found that the benefits of solar to ratepayers significantly outweigh the costs, while increasing the Dirigo State’s energy independence and resilience.

Maine’s renewable energy industry contributed more than $2.3 billion, or almost 3 percent, of Maine’s total gross state product in 2022. With more than 15,000 workers statewide, our clean energy industry is a significant job creator, and we have the fastest-growing clean energy economy — as measured by new job creation — of any New England state.

It’s important to note that Mainers export $4 billion per year from the local economy to import expensive, finite, single-use fossil fuels from away. Every time we invest in a locally built renewable energy project, we keep our energy dollars in the Maine economy, creating long-term energy independence and resilience to the negative impacts of a rapidly changing climate and worsening storms.

As a Maine-based company, ReVision Energy has firsthand experience with how solar energy positively impacts our economy and local communities. Since its start in Liberty in 2003, ReVision has grown into a 100 percent employee-owned solar company with nearly 300 Maine co-owners providing clean energy solutions to local homeowners, schools, municipalities, and businesses. These jobs not only include installers of solar arrays, heat pumps, battery storage and electric vehicle charging stations, but also engineers, project developers, and roles in service, IT, finance, marketing and sales.

The renewable energy sector’s growth throughout the state has also created work for Maine-based subcontractors, electricians, and equipment suppliers from Kittery to Caribou. We hear a lot about the solar industry being entirely out of state, but the truth is that many of us live, work, play, raise families and add to the economy right here; we are your neighbors.

Our state’s investment in solar energy not only helps ensure that our children and our grandchildren can enjoy the same clean air and water that we value today, but it also saves money immediately and over time by allowing homeowners and businesses to lock in predictable energy costs. There is no question that some Maine businesses are facing rising energy bills due to multiple factors including complex national and global fossil fuel market forces. The responsible approach should be to seek collaborative solutions rather than pointing fingers at solar energy. ReVision and our colleagues in the renewable energy industry, like the Maine Renewable Energy Association, are doing that work before the Maine Public Utilities Commission right now.

Twice now the PUC has commissioned studies on the costs and benefits of solar to Mainers and both studies clearly show that the benefits of solar, including reduced energy costs, outweigh the costs.

Maine’s rising electric bills are not caused by clean energy. To the contrary, solar, wind and hydro power act as a reprieve to the rising cost of fossil fuel energy, while delivering significant economic stimulus to Maine and protecting the environment. Energy storage solutions are also poised to positively impact our local economy with the announcement that the largest battery in the world will be built at the former location of a paper mill in Lincoln.

Let’s not risk the progress we’ve made by singling out a critical sector that provides good-paying jobs and long-term savings for Maine families and businesses. Instead, we should work together to ensure that energy policies remain equitable and effective for all Mainers. By protecting and improving solar energy programs, we ensure a more prosperous and sustainable future for our state.

Restoration efforts are underway after a storm knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses across Maine.

The storm – which brought periods of freezing rain, soaking rain and strong wind gusts – was predicted to cause flooding, but only minor localized flooding was reported in areas that saw the most rain.

Central Maine Power Co. reported more than 21,000 customers without power at 8 a.m. Thursday. Hardest hit were Waldo and Kennebec counties.

Versant Power, which serves northern and eastern Maine, reported more than 62,000 customers without power.

Source: Central Maine Power

“After high winds swept through our service territory last night and this morning, crews are prioritizing public safety issues like downed lines,” Versant officials said in a 5 a.m. update. “Along with addressing public safety issues, crews are assessing damage, which is necessary for us to plan to bring the most customers online at once. At this time, restoration is expected to continue over several days.”

CMP officials said the utility company prepared for the storm by staging nearly 500 line and tree crews in communities across its service area.

“Immediately after any storm, CMP crews work in partnership with local emergency management agencies to make dangerous situations safe – including deenergizing power lines on the ground and clearing roads blocked by trees,” CMP officials said in a message to customers.

Jon Palmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, said there were reports of “pretty high wind gusts” across the region, including a 61 mph gust in Portland and 56 mph at the Augusta airport. There were gusts of around 40 mph across much of Maine, mostly between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., he said.

Palmer said there were high rainfall totals across the region, especially in the White Mountains along the Maine border and in the Midcoast area, where close to 4 inches fell. Searsmont in Waldo County recorded 3.75 inches of rain.

“Most people ended up around the 1.5- to 2.5-inch range,” he said. “This was quite the soaker.”

There was quite a bit of freezing rain on Wednesday before the temperature rose and a soaking rain moved into the area, Palmer said. In Augusta, 0.14 of an inch of freezing rain was reported before changing over to rain, he said.

Flooding was less of an issue than had been anticipated. Palmer said there was some minor flooding in the Saco River, which reached just above 9 feet in Conway, New Hampshire. There was also some stream flooding in Waldo County.

“The expectation was we could have seen something a lot worse,” Palmer said, noting that the stream flows were able to hold more water and the snow pack melted less than predicted.

The National Weather Service dropped the flood watches that had been in effect over much of central Maine, including Kennebec, Somerset and Androscoggin counties.

Drier weather is expected Thursday, though there may be light snow during the afternoon. The weather service says dry weather is expected until Tuesday or Wednesday.

This story will be updated. 

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