Senator Anne Carney introduces bipartisan bill to prevent electricity disconnections for vulnerable Mainers, promote energy fairness

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

AUGUSTA — On Thursday, May 15, Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth, introduced a bipartisan bill to expand disconnection protections for the most vulnerable utility customers. LD 1949, “An Act Regarding Energy Fairness,” was the subject of a public hearing before the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This legislation also strengthens utilities’ rate recovery limits to reduce pressure on ratepayers, increases transparency around assistance programs on utility bills and streamlines processes to bring additional clean energy to Maine’s grid.

“Electricity is not a luxury, it’s a necessity — especially for households with older Mainers, infants and people with medical conditions that require electricity to refrigerate medicine or run a breathing assistance machine,” said Sen. Carney. “This legislation ensures that the most vulnerable among us are protected year-round from disconnections. 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. It also addresses high energy costs that can make it challenging for young people who want to build a future in Maine, as well as those who wish to retire here, but have tight budgets. 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 expands disconnection protections for the most vulnerable customers, for whom a loss of access to electricity would be especially damaging. This includes older adults, those with medical conditions or disabilities, and those with an infant in the home. The bill also protects lower-income customers from being taken advantage of by competitive electricity providers (CEPs). It would require the Public Utilities Commission to verify that those customers would see a rate reduction by switching from the Standard Offer to a given CEP program.

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 requiring the PUC to consider environmental justice principles in the course of its duties. The bill updates qualified apprentice requirements for renewable energy projects to bring Maine’s rules in line with federal guidelines under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. 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 Climate 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 older adults, infants, or 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.

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