Media Contact:
Josh Block
jblock@clf.org
(617) 850-1709
New PUC rule will charge consumers for the energy they save
March 1, 2017 (PORTLAND, ME) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) released the following statement today in response to the release of a new solar energy billing rule from the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Despite widespread support for an earlier rule that afforded Mainers the opportunity to reap the financial benefits of solar installation, this new rule eliminates financial incentives for solar power and even charges consumers for the energy they save.
“Imagine you make the decision to save money by using a clothesline rather than a dryer, but at the end of the month you are billed for the energy you saved,” said Sean Mahoney, Director of CLF Maine. “That’s what the PUC has just done to every family and business that uses solar power. Revoking the incentive structure alone would have been outrageous, but to go one step further and actually charge us for electricity we’re not buying is downright criminal. Once again, we see this LePage-appointed commission kowtow to the whims of Big Gas and Big Oil while leaving the people of Maine out to dry.”
A copy of the PUC order can be found here.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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