Maine

Maine utilities will be banned from spending ratepayer money on lobbying, advertising

Published

2 hours ago

September 5, 2024

Maine utilities will be banned from spending ratepayer money on lobbying, advertising

Maine regulators announced Wednesday they will draft rules that prohibit utilities from billing ratepayers for spending on advertising, lobbying and political expenses and require spending disclosures to the state.

The Public Utilities Commission voted 3-0 to launch a rule-making process seeking public comment on regulations called for in state legislation enacted last year.

Workers for Northern Clearing pound stakes to mark land on an existing Central Maine Power power line corridor, that has been recently widened to make way for new utility poles, in 2021, near Bingham. Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press, file

The legislation bars utilities from passing on to ratepayers expenses for contributions or gifts to political candidates, political parties, and political or legislative committees; to a trade association, chamber of commerce or public charity; for lobbying or grassroots lobbying; or for educational expenses, unless approved by the PUC as serving a public interest.

Sen. Mike Tipping, D-Penobscot, introduced the legislation, telling fellow lawmakers he objected to YouTube advertising by Central Maine Power and “glossy” fliers mailed by Versant Power. “Ultimately, we’re the ones paying for these ads through our power bills,” he said.

Rebecca Schultz, senior advocate for climate and clean energy at the Natural Resources Council of Maine, cited spending to support a 2021 ballot measure that ultimately rejected the New England Clean Energy Connect hydropower transmission line. Supporters spent about $24 million and NextEra, owner of a New Hampshire nuclear plant that stood to lose millions of dollars from the competing transmission line, spent $20 million. It wasn’t clear how large of a donation NextEra had made until two years after the election.

Opponents of the ballot measure – political action committees associated with Avangrid, the parent company of Central Maine Power, and Hydro-Quebec – spent about $63 million. The companies stand to earn billions of dollars when the line is built. Information was reported about those lobbying costs in 2023, a year after the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that CMP had a valid lease for the public land. And some of the costs were estimates at the time.

Schultz told lawmakers last year that companies with a “monopoly franchise with guaranteed returns in exchange for providing an essential service to Maine people should not be spending that kind of money to influence the outcome of our elections.”

Tipping said First Amendment protections for speech make it difficult to ban advertising by utilities.

And he cautioned about “some hurdles preventing a dollar-for-dollar reduction in rate increases based on money spent on advertising.”

“What we can do – far more quickly and easily – is increase transparency of how these utilities are spending money to influence Mainers and provide more information to the PUC, to (the Legislature) … and to the public about their advertising practices,” Tipping said.

Maine’s current rules governing political and advertising by utilities were last updated substantively in 1987, Schultz said. Political action committees have since proliferated and Maine’s two investor-owned utilities have gone through “various acquisitions and reorganizations” establishing “complex structures of multinational corporate ownership,” she said.

CMP, which did not support or oppose the legislation, told lawmakers last year that information about contributions by Avangrid to political action committees is publicly available. CMP also said it reports regularly to the state Ethics Commission. And it said the utility’s political and charitable contributions and goodwill advertising spending are paid for by shareholders, not ratepayers.

Versant told lawmakers that it spends less than $1 a ratepayer to support videos, audio, exhibits, bill inserts, brochures and other printed material to communicate information such as energy conservation and public safety messages.

Advertising that “may be considered promotional, political or institutional” and community spending or charitable giving is paid for by Versant’s shareholders, it said.

Versant suggested to the PUC that it approve in advance educational work that includes bill inserts, mailers and other communications. It said utilities increasingly need to inform customers about energy services, rates and other details.

CMP urged regulators to not preclude utility activities that are prudent – those that allow a utility to be reimbursed by ratepayers for various costs – and that align with state policy goals.

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Maine

Rembrandt ‘Portrait of a Girl’ found in Maine attic sells for record $1.4 million

Published

9 hours ago

September 5, 2024

Press Room

Rembrandt ‘Portrait of a Girl’ found in Maine attic sells for record .4 million

A 17th century portrait discovered in an attic by the Dutch Golden Age painter Rembrandt sold for $1.4 million in Maine, breaking a state record.

The painting, titled “Portrait of Girl” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, sold to the highest bidder at the Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in the small town of Thomaston in southern Maine. The sale broke the auction records in the state, according to the group.

The portrait depicts a teenage girl wearing Dutch attire, a white collar and cap, while conveying a serene look. Thomaston Place founder Kaja Veilleux made the “once-in-a-lifetime discovery” in a Camden attic around 12 miles northeast of the auction house.

“We often go in blind on house calls, not knowing what we’ll find,” Veilleux said in the news release.

In 1970, the Philadelphia Museum of Art once displayed the Rembrandt piece in a hand-carved frame, the auction house added.

Rembrandt painting sought after by 3 persistent bidders

On Aug. 24, bidders from around the world sought after the piece, but it was the prices offered by a persistent three that led to the $1.4 million final offer.

“Out of all the phone bids I’ve handled, I never imagined I’d help close a deal for over a million dollars,” auction host Zebulon Casperson said in the news release. “It feels like a shared victory.”

Veilleux said he discovered the painting during a routine visit, the auction house announced.

“The home was filled with wonderful pieces but it was in the attic, among stacks of art that we found this remarkable portrait.” he told Fortune.

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Maine

Maine casino inspectors take no-confidence vote in state's chief gambling regulator

Published

17 hours ago

September 4, 2024

Press Room

Maine casino inspectors take no-confidence vote in state's chief gambling regulator

Maine’s casino inspectors have taken a vote of no confidence in the executive director of the state’s Gambling Control Unit.

The nine public safety inspectors said Milton Champion had created a “deeply dysfunctional and toxic workplace.”

The workers, who are members of the Maine Service Employees Association, allege that Champion has disregarded the terms of their union contract, retaliated against individuals, and pursued deregulation of the state’s two casinos without voter input.

Inspector Gayle Craig, who works at Hollywood Casino in Bangor, said shortly after she and others filed a grievance over incorrect holiday pay, Champion cut back their hours on weekends and holidays. She said that undermined their core responsibility.

“It just takes away our ability for oversight,” Craig said. “That alone – the schedule change was a form of retaliation.”

Craig said she worries less oversight means more infractions could go unnoticed.

Union representative Frankie St. Amand said previous issues involving Champion have gone unresolved.

“I think at this point, the director needs to be removed from his position so that these hardworking inspectors can continue to do the work that they’re employed to do,” she said.

Last year Champion was placed on a temporary leave for a separate issue involving inappropriate social media posts.

Champion did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Maine

Missing woman from Virginia found dead in southern Maine, police say

Published

24 hours ago

September 4, 2024

Press Room

Missing woman from Virginia found dead in southern Maine, police say

DAYTON, Maine (WMTW) – A Virginia woman who was reported missing was found dead in a town in southern Maine, according to authorities.

Maine State Police officials said 23-year-old Autumn Cleveland, of Newport News, was found dead shortly before 3:30 p.m. Monday inside a vehicle parked near Goodwin Mills Road in Dayton.

Cleveland’s family members told Maine’s Total Coverage the young woman was traveling to Maine Thursday.

In the days before Cleveland was found dead, social media posts about her case were shared thousands of times.

However, there were inconsistencies throughout those social media posts, which included email addresses that led to nowhere and links that led to potential scams and viruses.

Randy Seaver, administrator of the Biddeford-Saco Community Group on Facebook, decided to remove a post about Cleveland from the page with more than 15,000 followers — and he took some heat for his decision.

“If it cannot be verified by an independent law enforcement agency and it’s not being covered by mainstream media, then we’re not going to post it on our page — whether it’s real or not,” Seaver said. “We are going to wait and only publish things that can be verified because there are kinds of scams out there, hoaxes and who knows?

“I mean, I’m not a social media expert. I’m not an internet expert. I’ve just seen too many scams and too many people get hurt where I’ve said, ‘You know what? We’ll allow you to post something if it can be verified,’” Seaver added. “Otherwise, no dice.”

The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit-South continues to investigate Cleveland’s death, pending an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of her death.

Authorities said there is no danger to the public.

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