CMP asks customers to pay for $160 million in 2023 storm damages
PORTLAND (WGME) -- Most years, Central Maine Power asks the Maine Public Utilities Commission to be reimbursed for money it spent repairing storm damage.
That number has spiked in each of the last two years, and the burden typically falls on Maine ratepayers.
CMP says it paid nearly $120 million in 2022, which rose to more than $160 million in 2023.
Three storms are behind much of those repair costs, but primarily December's devastating flooding in western and central Maine, which alone cost about $90 million.
“This is the cost of climate change," CMP Spokesperson Jon Breed said.
Maine Public Advocate Bill Harwood says the next step is negotiating the best deal for Maine ratepayers.
"In too many cases, they are being forced to choose between food and medicine on the one hand and paying their utility bills on the other hand," Harwood said.
Harwood adds they want to make sure CMP spent their money responsibly.
He claims the company hired too many out-of-state crews in 2022, which raised costs.
“CMP did not follow standard industry practice," Harwood said. “About 10 percent of our households in this state are really struggling right now."
CMP argues the price of getting the power back on quickly after a storm is worth the investment of out-of-state help.
“What is the biggest priority for our customers? Getting as many crews into Maine to get the lights on so that customers don’t deal with the secondary impacts of power outages, that is kids that can’t go to school because school is closed. That is businesses that can’t open because they don’t have electricity," Breed said.
Maine ratepayers saw a decrease in their bills at the start of this year when natural gas prices dropped.
CMP says any rise in your bill will not be substantial.
“We do not anticipate those prices getting back to that level. So, bills will still be lower than they were December 31, 2023," Breed said.
Moving forward, Harwood says CMP does have a responsibility to take action to reduce the cost of some of these storms.
“There are ways we can make investments in some of this infrastructure, so that when the nor’easters come and when these storms come, there isn’t $100 million a year in damage," Harwood said.
CMP says they have a $30 million grant from the Department of Energy and are applying for more funding to help install new tech, look into preventing substations from flooding and installing utility poles that can better resist powerful winds.
“These investments are going to be made now so that in the future, we can protect ourselves from this changing climate and from the changing weather around us," Breed said.
The Maine PUC will decide the final adjustment to your electric bill this spring.
Any rate change to your electric bill won't go into effect until July 1.