The cost to take over the grid would be over two times the size of Maine’s annual state budget.
Annual property taxes paid by our two large private electric utilities, helping fund schools, healthcare, and critical public safety services. Those communities would risk losing this revenue with a takeover.
The estimated cost to hire a private, for-profit company to run the day-to-day operations of the government-controlled grid. This could lead to hidden operational fees and higher electricity bills. On Long Island, it has also led to corruption, underfunded pensions and legal battles.
The amount Central Maine Power alone has invested over the past decade to improve Maine’s power grid and meet renewable energy goals. Future investments would be footed by Maine’s ratepayers and managed by politicians.