ENDORSED BY:

Dear Friends, 

We have a lot of things we’re proud of and grateful for these days – and a big one of those is you.
 
True, we didn’t prevail with the Pine Tree Power vote last November, but we exceeded expectations. Thanks to you we taught CMP and Versant a lesson, forcing them to cough up over $36 million.  
 
If it hadn’t been for YOUR support, we could never have turned from being outspent 54-to-1 to being outvoted only 2-to-1.
 
Without you, we could never have achieved an historic win in the Maine Legislature, winning bipartisan majorities of both the Maine House and Senate to put CMP and Versant’s monopoly privilege on the chopping block.
 
Your pressure helped make the Governor do something, passing a bill for marginally greater “utility accountability” and a more open, public process for future grid planning.
 
You helped us pass laws to hold CMP and Versant more responsible. These laws keep them from disconnecting public safety facilities like fire stations. They dramatically increase the maximum penalties the PUC can levy. They protect utility workers from injury. And speaking of penalties, you also helped us pressure the PUC to fine CMP for poor performance – first for $10.5 million, and then for another half a million!
 
You also helped us to help the workers. When CMP workers initially supported our proposal to get rid of CMP, it gave them major leverage. To bring them back onside, CMP had to make major concessions, including new staff, new equipment, and a better contract.
 
But your most important success is this: you changed the game. Maine people expect more of their utilities now. They expect more from our PUC. Even our detractors have said the outcome of last November’s vote means we need more accountability for CMP, not less.
 
Across the nation, communities are now rising up to assert their power. And here in Maine, we are determined to keep working to assert ours. Our Power is organizing now to continue our work on energy democracy.
 
Our Power is gathering ideas on how we can make an impact going forward and we want to hear from you. We will be reaching out to loyal supporters like you soon with a survey, and we hope you’ll take a moment to share your thoughts with us.

In the meantime, thanks again — and please keep in touch.
 
Yours,
The Our Power Steering Committee

SUPPORTED BY LOCALS,
NOT FOREIGN CORPORATIONS

What People Are Saying

I AM 75 YRS OLD

I AM 75 YRS OLD I FOR SURE UNDERSTAND BIG POWER BILLS AS OF NOW I OWE VERSANT $1300 WHICH WILL NEVER GET PAID DOWN BEING ON SS AN RENT NOW $1000 MONTH PLUS PAYING FOR MY OWN HEAT AND AS SOON AS I TURN MY HEAT ON THE BLOWER OF COURSE WILL ADD TO… Read more “I AM 75 YRS OLD”

Laura Barnes

Versant let the power go

Versant let the power go out on our street at 7:30 on the morning the storm was supposed to begin, 4-5 hours before it started raining. Previous town hall meeting, they sent a letter stating Veazie would see price hikes… Read more “Versant let the power go”

Joshua Chambers

Ex-LIPA (Long Island Power Authority) Customer

I moved from Long Island, NY to Maine two years ago. LIPA provided my electric power back in NY and was community owned. On moving to Maine I was shocked at how expensive my CMP bill was. My home in Maine is less than half the size of my home in NY, and I am… Read more “Ex-LIPA (Long Island Power Authority) Customer”

Nida Angeliadis

Too expensive and not trustworthy

Our electric bill was almost $200/month for literally years and then magically it was cut in half. When I called to inquire I was told that so must be doing something different . Nope, not a damn thing. I figure we were cheated out of money for years. Bottom line, I don’t trust CMP… Read more “Too expensive and not trustworthy”

Michele Flaherty

Why are we rates the fourth highest?

After moving to Maine from Nebraska in 2004 my rate was 2 1/2 times the rate I paid in Nebraska per kwh. I just checked the statewide rates for ME vs NE and they are still 2 1/2 times. The privately owned electric utilities in ME had $187 million in profits from us last year.… Read more “Why are we rates the fourth highest?”

Gary Loft

We were sent a bill

We were sent a bill at $2400 and we paid $2000 and the following month cmp said we owe $1800 what happened to the… Read more “We were sent a bill”

Randy Curtis

Yes on 3, cmp needs to go…

Moved into this one bedroom apt 6 yrs ago. My bill was 40. per month summer, 95-98 per month winter with electric heat. Last Jan My winter bill went to 200 a month and summer has been 60-70. with no air conditioning. Time for Pine Tree Power. Kennebunkport pays 12.5 cents per kwh, we….28 cents… Read more “Yes on 3, cmp needs to go…”

Rick Johnson

Buy or Lease

I am a professional data scientist working for a consulting company contracted by utility companies located across the USA. I work for a large multinational firm. My primary focus is environmental sustainable of our power grid from the prospective of economic feasibility for rate payer. I have made a living helping regular people pay their… Read more “Buy or Lease”

Robert Langton

I work in the solar

I work in the solar industry and deal with CMP on a daily basis to get systems hooked up to the grid. CMP’s interconnections Department has some really dedicated people in it but the structure of the company keeps them from being able to do a god job. There are frequent delays in the process… Read more “I work in the solar”

Jason

Delivery Charges…

I recently was able to switch over to Smart Energy, as they are charging a lower rate for power, which I believe is 13.5 cents per kilowatt hour, while currently CMP is charging 17+ cents for the same. This lowers my bill substantially. Since this summer here in Maine was so cool, I hardly used… Read more “Delivery Charges…”

arthur facteau

I moved here in 2019

I moved here in 2019 from Kentucky. My all in rate in Ky was 8.5 cents per KWH. At that time my rate here in Maine was 16.5 cents per KWH, it is now 26.6 cents. Of course I am disturbed with the rates, especially when we are told that hydropower is basically the lowest… Read more “I moved here in 2019”

James

After the big power outage

After the big power outage in 2017, our bills that followed had more than doubled. CMP wasn’t any help. The PUC helped a little but I still had to pay the $800/mo which was normally $250-300/mo. The PUC told me that if any billing errors were found, I would be reimbursed, which never happened. I’ve… Read more “After the big power outage”

Buddy

Asthma Kills

One morning I woke up to a severe, asthma attack where I couldn’t breathe. I had to get rushed to the pharmacy, which was an open yet to get albuterol to make sure that I could breathe. The doctors offices that I go to sent in the paperwork to make sure that my medical delay… Read more “Asthma Kills”

Citizen

When I first moved here

When I first moved here in 2014 with my family of 6 the first 21 days of electricity cost 286.00 dollars x2 I flipped a gasket I called and complained how in the holy hell can they charge me that much? I have been battling for the last 9 years to get a monthly price… Read more “When I first moved here”

Bruce

Guardians of Power: Safeguarding Maine’s Energy Future

Once upon a time, in the picturesque state of Maine, a tale unfolded that would determine the fate of its power grid. For years, the energy infrastructure had been under the control of foreign governments in Qatar and Norway. However, as the people of Maine began to realize the importance of self-reliance and safeguarding their… Read more “Guardians of Power: Safeguarding Maine’s Energy Future”

Claire Adams

I’ve seen regulates industry and it’s better!

I moved out of Maine for 5 years and lived in Southern California and Northern Nevada. I realized upon moving just how expensive the power system is in Maine. For 5 years I paid $75-175 a month for my electricity AND natural gas bill combined. Imagine my surprise when I moved back and got my… Read more “I’ve seen regulates industry and it’s better!”

James

Operations Leader

4 years ago our town contracted with solar developer Soltage. Then the waiting and delays began. The town had a site very suitable to develop a solar farm to enhance and help reduce our electric rates. First there were three other developers in front of us, than there was one and then we were first… Read more “Operations Leader”

Clifford Krolick

The original CMP does not exist!

CMP does not exist! The original CMP: read meters, trimmed trees, had good billing practices and provided outstanding customer service. That is not what we got from Avangid and continue to get from Iberdola, a for profit energy giant that is taking money from our state. They do not care about our beautiful state or… Read more “The original CMP does not exist!”

gary martin lachance

Rev.

A few years ago I organized and led a 10 person complaint regarding outages in Jackman. During the process I learned that CMP had misinformed the PUC concerning the number of full time employees in Jackman, they repeatedly denied that Jackman had growing number of outages as well as length of outages but then disproved… Read more “Rev.”

Darien (Deke) Sawyer

User owned power

Excited to hear we could have user owned non profit power… Read more “User owned power”

Cynthia Violette

Time for People Power, not Private Power!

I want to live in a Maine where we have an energy system that runs on renewable energy, provides reliable service even with increasing extreme weather due to climate change, and doesn’t shut off people’s energy. This is because I believe that energy and a livable climate are human rights. This future is not possible… Read more “Time for People Power, not Private Power!”

Johanna Bozuwa

I believe that when customers

I believe that when customers have no other options that companies don’t worry about giving good service at the lowest possible price. I definitely feel that way woth CMP. We have no other option than to use them. I do not understand the need to charge a price for themselves then a price for another… Read more “I believe that when customers”

Beth Cohen

I have had nothing but

I have had nothing but bad experiences with CMP from over charging, to having a account over 2,000 paying 89.00 a month extra on top of my bill to pay down my balance but feel like I’m not getting anywhere my balance isn’t going down. I need a company that’s not going to… Read more “I have had nothing but”

Martha wiley

Sick of Being Held Hostage by the Country’s Worst Power Company

My part of Kennebunk suffers multi-day power outages, sometimes when winds are less than 40 mph. Kennebunk has its own power company, which is cheaper and much more reliable than CMP, but CMP won’t let us join Kennebunk Light and Power. I’m sick of being held hostage by the country’s worst power… Read more “Sick of Being Held Hostage by the Country’s Worst Power Company”

Jan

CMP & Versant Only Care About Profit

Profit generation is the top priority of any investor-owned company, no matter what that company does or says. CMP and Versant are investor-owned utility companies, and their customers in Maine pay 49% more on average for residential service than customers of Maine’s consumer-owned utilities. Pine Tree Power will be a consumer-owned utility company. The choice… Read more “CMP & Versant Only Care About Profit”

Patrick

Stay Plugged In!

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