Bobby Charles has shared his “12 Point Energy Plan” that claims it will lower Maine’s electricity costs by 30% to 40%, but he does not explain how his ideas would actually lead to those savings, and his arguments don’t add up.
He cites wrong numbers in his plan. He claims Maine electricity prices went up by 36.3% in 2024, but federal data show that the average residential price dropped from 27.42 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2023 to 24.29 cents in 2024. For CMP customers, the rate fell from 28.1 to 21.9 cents. In Versant’s two areas, prices went from 31 cents to 26.4 cents, and from 26.8 cents to 24.7 cents. High prices in 2023 and the drop in 2024 were driven largely by changes in natural gas prices, which directly affect electricity costs.
He blames solar power for high prices, ignoring the primary causes. Maine’s solar program, called net energy billing or NEB, gave incentives to homeowners, businesses, and developers. The Legislature pared it back in 2023 and 2025. Since 2020, before the NEB costs appeared in rates, the average Versant customer in Bangor has seen their bill go up by about $96 per month. The two largest cost increases were $48 from higher transmission and distribution costs (poles, wires, equipment, storm recovery), and about $34 from higher supply costs. CMP’s percentages were similar. In 2026, the revised NEB program made up less than 6% of a typical residential electric bill in Versant territory and less than 5% in CMP’s.
He says he will finish natural gas pipelines that are not in Maine, are not built, and are not under Maine’s control. The Constitution pipeline is planned for Pennsylvania to New York, and the Iroquois project is an expansion of a compressor station in New York. Charles does not explain how his negotiations would secure completion, how much extra gas would reach New England power plants, or how much savings would show up on Maine bills.
He calls for more competition, but it already exists.He wants to end deregulation to create more competition, but ending deregulation would, in fact, take away the competition he says he wants. Maine already allows different electricity suppliers to compete under its current law, and it chooses all electricity sources through competitive bidding.
He overlooks real ways to lower costs. People in Maine pay for electricity supply, transmission, local distribution, and storm repairs. Simply changing where the power comes from does not, by itself, lower the cost of poles, wires, substations, or storm repairs. Any serious plan to make electricity more affordable should look at these costs, use the current grid more efficiently, and check if a cheaper option can meet a need before building something new.
Charles is correct that Maine needs affordable, reliable electricity. However, his promise of 30% to 40% savings does not include a starting point, a timeline, or a clear cents-per-kilowatt-hour calculation. If the next governor wants to lower electricity costs, they need to consider all the factors that affect prices, based on facts and careful analysis, not ideology.
Hannah Pingree’s energy priorities reflect an understanding of our electricity system and target meaningful ways to lower future costs. Read her plan at https://hannahforgovernor.com/climate/.
I encourage all voters, especially those who care about energy policy, to support Hannah Pingree on November 3.