When Heather Sanborn served in the Maine State Legislature not so long ago, she voted in support of granting credits to solar companies as part of Governor Janet Mills’ (D) green energy agenda, but now that she’s the state’s Public Advocate representing the ratepayers before the Public Utilities Commission, is she ready to fight against the complex, controversial and burdensome net energy billing (NEB) program that is leaving more and more Mainer’s with sticker shock when they open their electric bills?
“We haven’t saved any money since we started (the community solar program),” Daryl Sawyer told FOX23 News on Tuesday, and his wife Didi added, “it’s just been a nightmare.”
Is Maine’s appointed official tasked with sticking up for utility rate payers listening?
“We have heard a lot of concerns about the confusion about double billing,” Public Advocate Sanborn said this week in response to rising complaints about solar farms many Mainers signed up for in recent years on the promise they’d reduce electric bills by 15-20%. When the promise doesn’t seem to materialize, ratepayers have been vexed by “not being able to get out of a contract right away,” Sanborn acknowledged.
During her confirmation hearing late last year, Sanborn was asked whether she would later work as a lobbyist for the solar companies that are currently reaping the rewards of Maine’s current energy policies, and according to those present she gave neither a definitive yes or no to the question. While that might have been speculative, in the hear and now Mainers are contending with two sets of electric bills and not necessarily seeing any savings, many have complained.
[RELATED: Who Does “Public Advocate” Heather Sanborn Really Represent?]
It’s gotten so bad that earlier this month Republicans in the State House introduced bills to scrap the solar credit program altogether. State Senator Stacey Guerin (R-Glenburn) argued Maine can no longer afford the $130 million program late last year. Today, the budget is strapped and Governor Mills is seeking an emergency supplemental of approximately the same amount.
“Maine already has the sixth-highest electricity rate in the nation, according to an analysis by Dow Jones’ financial subsidiary MarketWatch. Considering that we already have the highest property tax burden in the nation and the fourth-highest tax burden when adding together all taxes we pay, this is not how life should be and a new tax only makes it worse,” Sen. Guerin presciently said last summer, while this month the Mills administration began pushing for “revenue raisers” to plug holes in state spending.
Guerin has cited examples of businesses in her district that are struggling to keep up with their electric bills, and ties these to the controversial program she now seeks to eliminate.
On January 28, Sanborn was narrowly confirmed by a 19-15 party line vote in the legislature’s upper house. State Senator and Assistant Minority Leader Matt Harrington (R-York) spoke out against her nomination at the time, specifically citing how the net energy billing program is disproportionately hurting lower-income rate payers, who don’t even participate either in the solar panel or community solar farm programs.
[RELATED: Maine Senate Confirms Heather Sanborn as Public Advocate]
In its 2024 session, the State House ultimately killed efforts to address the inequities in the solar credit program, but after another year without relief pressure may be building for action. In the meantime, Sanborn says she will press the solar companies to do a better job responding to consumer complaints about cost, complexity and the difficulties in getting out of the problem encountered by those who signed up but now regret it.
Does Sanborn regret her past support of net energy billing?
“I can’t assure you that I, in the benefit of hindsight — that was five years ago, and technology has advanced, the costs of things have changed, we had COVID in between, I don’t know. And I don’t think it’s productive to sort of Monday morning quarterback things that happened five years ago,” she said while interviewing with the Senate for her current post.
Now ratepayers are waiting for action.
Great snare by reporter Patten.
If TMW weren’t paying attention no one would be, sad to say.
Wait until all the suckers who bought into the big lie about heat pumps figure out just how much it’s going to cost to heat their homes .
Great for AC in the Summer ….Horrible for heat in the winter .
Live and learn . If Janet Mills tells you something you can bet it’s a lie .
Case no. 2024-00137 in the Public Utilities Commission docket. A case that came about after the PUC decided that Large Rate Classes in the CMP and Versant territories should help out the small and medium classes by paying their share of NEB and Long-Term Contract Costs (collectively known as “stranded costs”). The large class, consisting of manufacturers, industries, large business owners, wind developers and any company that were tied directly to the transmission/sub transmission systems.
Well, several companies were appalled when they received their bills and demanded a remedy.
In came the Office of the Public Advocate to reduce the costs for the “heated” large rate class companies.
It was so easy. “A Stipulation”. Simply shift a portion of the costs onto the small and medium rate class customers.
And to top it off, add another $3.9 million dollars to the small and medium rate class suckers to pay the low-income customer bills and keep them quiet.
This was questioned by the PUC, who wondered in writing: “Whether the interests of residential (non-LIAP), small commercial, and medium commercial customers are adequately represented by the stipulating parties.”
AND THE OPAs UNBELIEVABLE RESPONSE:
“The question seems to presume that because the Stipulation methodology includes a modest increase in rates for these classes, those classes are not adequately represented by the Stipulating Parties. That is incorrect. The OPA represents the interests of customers in the low-income, residential, and small commercial classes.”
Told ya, scape goat.
I don’t expect Mrs Sanborn will do anything but increase my electricity bill.
Another state employee. ( to coin a phrase from democrats ) “ that nobody voted for “
Republicans must take control of Augusta in 2026
Maybe you can answer the Question the Governor and the Government will not!
How much will it cost a homeowner to dispose of the used solar system on the roof or yard which is made up of dangerous chemicals???
“and technology has advanced”– the same old lie. The Government in Maine knows Sh** about science!
We got the mask-up Dr. back again.
“it’s just been a nightmare.” Very true words about the Janit’s government.
Although paid for through electrical rates in reality the net metering program is a regressive tax. It should have been set up as an energy only credit program. By allowing credits against the T&D portion of the bill you’re asking non-net metering customers to pay extra in rates for upkeep of the grid. The new community solar farm promising 15% savings is a bigger boondoggle. The majority of farms are owned by out of state entities and even brought in installers from out of state to build the farms. A huge majority of the money going to the enterprises from Maine ratepayers is flowing directly out of the state. All so the governor and the idiot democrats can feel good about “saving the planet”. During the most recent snow storm I had a salesman coming to my door trying to get me to sign up for a farm promising a 15% saving. He tried to say 30% of the electricity coming into my house came from local solar farms. He ought to do his homework. Or at least not lie about it. ALL renewables make up about 6% of the energy mix. Not just solar. Unfortunately the damage is done. CMP and Versant were forced to sign 20 year contracts that will require billions be paid to these people over time. Those contracts can’t be undone with massive lawsuits against the state.
The first clue that solar offers for electric bill savings was the sheer number of mailings we received – hundreds of them over the years. Last August a guy wearing a reflective vest came to our door and was relentless in trying to get us to sign up. We didn’t. Some things in life should be intuitively avoided. Maine’s PUC obviously has some gaps that allows Maine citizens to be fleeced over and above everyday ultra high electric rates.
Ironically, the picture of the roof top solar panels shows an installation that does not meet code!
Here’s a quote from Machias Valley News regarding the alternative fishing gear. And yes, this does apply as it is a common denominator in how our current state government and local legislatures work. Here you go… “without the industry’s participation in testing technology could be approved and required that does not work for Maine fishermen”.
Did you catch that? “could be approved and required that does not work”.
Now, go ahead in plug in heat pumps/solar farms.
It’s time to even the score with Net Energy Billing. Right now, 14% of Maine ratepayers are participants in this scam, 86% are not.
Charge every participant $100 per month for using space on the grid. It has been disruptive to distribution operations.
Ahh, the democrats, they just keep on giving.
No one voted for this joke of an ‘advocate’, she is advocating for Queen Mills and the Communist-DemocRATs not for 1 single Mainer. The only thing she is going to do is increase ALL energy bills and screw Mainers. By the way the Maine GOP will sit on their hands and do ZERO.