Maine Senate advances Sen. Carney bill to prevent electricity disconnections for vulnerable Mainers, promote energy fairness with bipartisan support

The Energy Fairness Act seeks to make electricity cleaner and more affordable for all Mainers.

AUGUSTA — On Monday, June 16, in a bipartisan vote, the Maine Senate advanced LD 1949, “An Act Regarding Energy Fairness.” This bill, sponsored by Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth, would expand disconnection protections for utility customers who have medical conditions that require electricity for treatment. This legislation also limits the costs utilities can pass onto ratepayers, increases transparency around assistance programs on utility bills and requires utilities to disclose the components of certain administrative charges that they pass on to customers and businesses.

“No one should have to choose between putting food on the table and paying their electric bill to keep insulin refrigerated,” said Sen. Carney. “Electricity is not a luxury, it’s a necessity — especially for people with serious medical conditions that require electricity to preserve medicine or run a breathing assistance machine. This bill ensures that the most vulnerable among us are protected year-round from disconnections and unfair costs.”

Sen. Carney continued, “The Energy Fairness Act will also help address climate change by paving the way to bring more low-cost, clean energy onto the grid in the future. We must move toward an energy system that works just as well for customers and the planet as it does for utility executives.”

LD 1949, as approved in the Senate, would expand electricity disconnection protections for Maine people with medical conditions that require electricity for treatment or management. These protections would be means-tested, and the medical condition would have to be certified by a medical professional or government agency.

This legislation would also limit what expenses a utility is allowed to pass on to customers and would increase transparency around administrative charges for interconnection services. It would make information about assistance programs more readily accessible on customer bills, streamlining the ability of those in need to get help paying their bills.

Additionally, the Energy Fairness Act would make Maine’s energy system fairer by establishing definitions of environmental justice and directing the Public Utilities Commission to study and report back to the legislature on how they can be used in their work. Finally, it would require improvements in reporting metrics by the utilities regarding disconnections, assistance programs and customer debt to ensure that accurate data is available to policymakers and people throughout the state.

In support of LD 1949, Lucy Hochschartner, Climate and Clean Energy Director for Maine Conservation Voters, said, “This legislation is vital to make our energy system cleaner and fairer for all Mainers. I think about people I’ve met while working on this bill, including many residents with medical conditions who simply cannot afford to pay their bills. The Energy Fairness Act keeps people like them in mind as it takes the first step toward a better system by expanding protections from high bills right now and paves the way to bring on more clean energy, which will lower bills in the future.”

In written testimony in support of LD 1949 on behalf of Legal Services for Maine Elders, John Brautigam said, “LD 1949 addresses urgent gaps in consumer protection, transparency and regulatory fairness in Maine’s utility system. It recognizes that electricity and heat are not luxuries — they are lifelines, especially for vulnerable households that include … people with medical conditions. LD 1949 is a thoughtful and comprehensive response to longstanding concerns we have heard from clients and community partners across the state.”

LD 1949 now faces additional votes in both the House and Senate.

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