Maine considers electrifying proposal that would give the boot to corporate electric utilities

By DAVID SHARP
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Taking a page from the “throw-the-bums-out” script in politics, Mainers will vote on whether to rid themselves of the state’s two biggest private electric utilities. The referendum on the November ballot is unprecedented. It would forcibly dismantle Central Maine Power and Versant Power and create a nonprofit utility with a board composed of elected and appointed members to operate the state power grid. Supporters say there’s little to lose. Both utilities rank near the bottom in customer satisfaction, and electric rates in the region are high. Critics fear protracted litigation and the billions of dollars needed to buy out the utilities as well as politicization of the grid.