Sen. Carney bill to prevent electricity disconnections for vulnerable Mainers, promote energy fairness receives bipartisan committee support

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

AUGUSTA — On Thursday, May 22, a bipartisan majority of the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology voted to advance 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 strengthens utilities’ rate recovery limits to reduce pressure on ratepayers, increases transparency around assistance programs on utility bills and investigates certain administrative charges that utilities pass on to customers and businesses.

“Electricity is not a luxury, it’s a necessity — especially for people with medical conditions that require electricity to refrigerate medicine or run a breathing assistance machine,” said Sen. Carney. “I appreciate the Committee’s commitment to ensuring that the most vulnerable among us are protected year-round from disconnections. Additionally, this legislation includes provisions to help limit certain costs the utilities can pass along to ratepayers like you and me. No one should have to choose between putting food on the table and paying their electric bill to keep their insulin refrigerated.”

Sen. Carney continued, “The Energy Fairness Act will help to 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, if passed as amended, 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 faces further action in the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee.

###