Maine

Report: 100,000 low-income Maine households struggle with rising electricity bills

Published

1 year ago

December 2, 2024

Report: 100,000 low-income Maine households struggle with rising electricity bills

About 100,000 Maine households are struggling to pay some of the most expensive electricity bills in the U.S., and costs are set to keep climbing in 2025, according to a state report released Monday.

The Electric Ratepayer Advisory Council urged state lawmakers to expand the Low-Income Assistance Program so greater benefits go to more low-wage households to “relieve the affordability gap facing them.”

The council, which evaluates the affordability of electricity in Maine and advises the state public advocate on how to promote savings, said in its annual report to the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee that low-income ratepayers in Maine pay on average about 8% of their household income for electricity. As a percentage of income, Maine’s low-wage households pay three times more for electricity than the average, according to the report.

Public Advocate William Harwood said he hopes the Legislature and other policymakers will consider recommendations to bolster financial assistance programs “and seriously address the crushing burden today’s high electricity prices have on low-income consumers.”

“We should never put consumers in the untenable position of having to choose between paying their utility bills and providing needed food and medicine for their family,” he said.

Costs are expected to rise next year by 7% for customers of Central Maine Power Co. and 4.5% for Versant Power’s Bangor Hydro District customers, Harwood said. A higher transmission rate approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the main driver of the higher costs. It fluctuates each year and is allocated among the six New England states, CMP spokesperson Jon Breed said.

The formula was favorable to Maine customers in 2024, resulting in a one-year $4 credit, which will expire next year, he said. The allocation for Maine increases in 2025 by about $4, resulting in an approximately $8 change for customers, he said.

The increase wipes out a slight decrease in the standard offer rate approved last month by the state Public Utilities Commission. The standard offer is the default supply price for nine of 10 residential and small-business customers who don’t contract for electricity with competitive energy providers. The second of a two-year increase approved by regulators in 2023 to finance improvements in CMP’s distribution system also takes effect next year.

CMP serves about 635,000 customers and Versant Power serves about 165,000 customers in Maine.

Transmission cost increases affecting Versant also take effect in January; the impact will be calculated in December, spokeswoman Judy Long said.

The Public Utilities Commission says eligibility for the Low-Income Assistance Program that helps qualified consumers pay for electricity costs is based on eligibility for low-income heating assistance and participation in state means-tested programs with a household income at or less than 150% of federal poverty guidelines.

For a single person, the federal poverty guideline in 2024 is $15,060 a year, and $31,200 for a family of four.

Electricity costs in Maine, and New England generally, are among the highest in the U.S., according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The average retail price of electricity in Maine was 20.84 cents a kilowatt-hour in 2023. The cost is due to several factors, including the volatile price of natural gas, which makes up most of the power used to generate electricity; limited access to natural gas pipelines compared with other regions, making it vulnerable to supply shortages when demand is high, such as in the winter months; and the transition to zero-carbon energy.

In contrast, electricity ratepayers in states such as Iowa, Kentucky and Louisiana pay less than 10 cents a kWh.

Higher electricity costs also are driven by competitive electricity providers, which are the retailers that sell to consumers who choose not to pay the standard offer rate set by the PUC, the report said. In 2023, more than three-fourths of residential customers of competitive electricity providers paid more than if they had purchased standard offer service, the report said. Low-income customers are disproportionately likely to respond to claims of energy savings in marketing by competitive electricity providers, it said.

From 2016 to 2023, the electricity providers charged Maine’s households $135 million more for electricity than what would have been billed by the standard offer, the report said.

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Maine

Wet, cooler today; rain & snow impacts across Maine

Published

11 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

Wet, cooler today; rain & snow impacts across Maine

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – Good morning and Happy Sunday everyone. Skies are cloudy with fog across much of Maine this morning. Rain has entered locations along the interstate and to the northwest. Temperatures vary from the upper 30s to mid 40s. Winds are out of the SE between about 5-15 mph.

Today will be a wet and impactful day with rain and even snow anticipated as a large cold front passes through Maine. Skies will be cloudy with plenty of fog lasting through the morning. Rain will expand across the interstate by the late morning hours, reaching Downeast locations by midday/the early afternoon.

By the early to midafternoon, temperatures will start to drop across northwestern locations as the cold front passes through Maine. This will result in rain turning over to mixed precipitation and eventually snow across the Western Mountains, Moosehead region, and Northern Maine. Rain will continue steadily and at times heavily across the foothills, Interstate, Coast, and Downeast. A few thunderstorms are even possible closer to the coast.

Snow will expand across areas to the northwest of the interstate this evening, reaching all the way down to Interior Midcoast communities, the Bangor region, and Interior Downeast areas by sunset and into the start of the night. Precipitation will taper off across Western Maine shortly after sunset, before exiting the entire state around midnight tonight. High temps today will vary from the low 40s to low 50s with SSE to NW gusts reaching 20-25 mph.

WABI Weather 4/19/26 AM(WABI)

Snowfall totals will vary under 2 inches across Western, Northern, and Interior Downeast locations. However, a few pockets of 2-4 inches are possible, mostly in higher elevations across the mountains. Rainfall totals will accumulate around a half inch to three quarters of an inch when all is said and done.

Precipitation will be out of Maine by midnight tonight, with cloudy conditions giving way to mostly clear skies by sunrise. Lows overnight will dip back below freezing across much of the state, from the low 20s to mid 30s tonight, so cover up any plants or flowers outside. WNW gusts will reach 20-25 mph. A Small Craft Advisory is expected offshore.

Skies will be partly to mostly sunny across the interstate and coast on Monday morning. However, by the late morning to midday hours, clouds will build with a few scattered rain and snow showers in spots. Conditions will remain on the cloudier side in the afternoon before clearing up around sunset into the start of Monday night. Highs will be chilly on Monday, from the low 30s to upper 40s. WNW to SW gusts will be a bit breezy, reaching 20-25 mph, which will add to the wind chill factor.

High pressure will build on Monday night, remaining overhead on Tuesday. Skies will be sunny in the morning, becoming partly to mostly sunny in the afternoon. Highs will remain cool, in the 40s across the board with North to SW gusts only reaching 15-20 mph.

A weaker low-pressure system could bring showers across Maine on Wednesday and Thursday. There is a bit of model uncertainty on exactly when it will impact Maine. The GFS has impacts on Wednesday, while the EURO, GRAF, and GDPS models have most of the impacts on Thursday. We will continue to monitor this system and potential impacts. All it looks to provide as of now are cloudier skies and rain showers, with some snow shower chances farther to the North.

By Friday and Saturday, conditions are trending on the drier side with sunshine and average temperatures returning to the forecast.

SUNDAY: Highs from low 40s to low 50s. Cloudy with AM fog. Rain becoming widespread throughout the day, turning over to snow to the north & west during PM. SSE to NW gusts reach 20-25 mph.

MONDAY: Highs from low 30s to upper 40s. Partly to mostly sunny early. Developing clouds with scattered rain/snow showers by midday/afternoon. WNW to SW gusts reach 20-25 mph.

TUESDAY: Highs throughout the 40s. Sunnier AM. Partly to mostly sunny PM. North to SW gusts reach 15-20 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Highs from low 40s to low 50s. Mostly cloudy with a few rain showers. Few AM snow showers possible North. SSE to SSW gusts reach 20-25 mph.

THURSDAY: Highs from mid 40s to mid 50s. Cloudier skies with rain showers possible. Some AM snow showers possible North. NW gusts reach 20-25 mph.

FRIDAY: Highs from upper 40s to mid 50s. Partly cloudy. NNW gusts reach 20 mph.

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Maine

18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather

Published

23 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in September 2022.

When it comes to Maine hiking, summiting Katahdin is the ultimate achievement.

Maine’s tallest mountain stands at 5,269 feet, and there are a number of different trails hikers can take to get up and down Katahdin. And while some are harder than others, none are easy.

But the views are incredible.

Whether it’s the rugged terrain of the Knife Edge or the vast landscape of the 200,000 acres that compose Baxter State Park below, here’s a look at what it’s like to climb Katahdin.

Hunt Trail

Hunt Trail traces the edge of a ridge on the west side of Katahdin known as Hunt Spur. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Katahdin Stream Falls is one of the many scenic highlights of Katahdin’s Hunt Trail. It’s located about a mile from the trailhead at Katahdin Stream Campground. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Abol Trail

Chimney Pond Trail

Cathedral Trail

Saddle Trail

Northwest Basin Trail

Knife Edge

Hikers on the Knife Edge of Katahdin have few options for getting off trail to relieve themselves of human waste. Above treeline, Leave No Trace principles recommend planning ahead to avoid the necessity of going to the bathroom in fragile alpine areas, or getting off trail as far as possible to relieve themselves on rock or gravel. Credit: Courtesy of Brad Viles

Tablelands

South Peak

Hamlin Peak

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Maine

Maine Township Residents OK Purchase Of Building For Food Pantry – Journal & Topics Media Group

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Maine Township Residents OK Purchase Of Building For Food Pantry – Journal & Topics Media Group

Maine Township residents vote in support of purchasing building for the relocation of the township food pantry.

A proposal for Maine Township to purchase a building at 9850 Milwaukee Ave. in Glenview to move its popular and growing food pantry received strong approval at the township’s Annual Meeting held last week at the Town Hall on Ballard Road.
More than 100 residents attended the meeting where they approved buying the property for $1,429,000. The 3,000 sq. ft. building, which is located within the township, had been the home of a local restaurant. It is currently vacant.
In March, Supervisor Kim Jones explained that the food pantry needs more space for food and to accommodate clients who need food. “We’ve totally outgrown it,” said Jones at the time. “We’ve been looking for more than a year.”
Following last week’s meeting, Jones said about the vote, “That magical moment really encapsulated the strong support system that’s been built from neighbors helping neighbors throughout our community. The food pantry has grown in leaps and bounds throughout the last five years thanks to the dedicated work of its staff, volunteers and the public.”
Des Plaines City Clerk Dominik Bronakowski served as ceremonial moderator for the event.
Jones also recognized a number of employees and officials who currently serve the township. They included Assessor Susan Moylan-Krey and MaineStay Youth and Family Services Director Richard Lyon for their 20 years of service to Maine. Assistant Director of MaineStreamers, Therese Tully was recognized for her 25 years of service.
The meeting also recognized former Des Plaines Self-Help Closet and Pantry Director Debbie Walusiak who was presented the Sgt. Karen Lader Good Citizen Award for her more than 20 years of service to the Des Plaines community.
“Debbie is an exceptional community leader and volunteer,” said township Clerk Pete Gialamas whose office runs the annual award program. “Her work with the Des Plaines community, particularly her leadership navigating the Self-Help Closet and Pantry’s 2020 move to a larger location in the midst of the COVID pandemic really shows the depth and resolve of that leadership and dedication to service.”
In 2011, the clerk’s office instituted the award in honor of Lader, a resident of Des Plaines and a 15-year veteran of the Cook County Sheriff’s Police who lost her battle with cancer in 2010. She was deeply involved with the township’s Neighborhood Watch program and active in Maine’s National Night Out Against Crime event held each August. She also worked on Special Olympics and animal rescue.

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