April 10, 2018 (PORTLAND, ME) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) released the following statement today in response to the Maine legislature’s failure to override Governor LePage’s veto of a popular solar bill by a narrow margin. The bill, which initially won support in both the Maine House and Senate, would have overturned parts of the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) rule that charges solar panel owners for the energy they produce and use at home, and would have expanded access to solar for Mainers of all economic means.
“Legislators loyal to the LePage ideology failed us by allowing the Governor and the PUC to unnecessarily raise electricity costs for all Mainers, while depriving us of the right to fairly produce and consume our own solar power,” said CLF attorney Emily Green. “Solar power is good for Maine, and leaders who block its progress are doing so at the expense of individuals, families, and local businesses. Fortunately, the legislature’s failure today is not the last word on the PUC’s regressive, harmful rule, because we have taken this fight to the state’s highest court and anticipate a decision soon.”
CLF is fighting the PUC’s rule at the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. You can read full details here.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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