Amid rapidly evolving energy goals, Maine lawmakers seek more coordinated grid planning
An aerial view shows high voltage power lines on May 16, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by)
Energy policy has moved quickly in the past few years as Maine has sought to achieve climate and affordability goals with deadlines that are not so far off.
Rep. Gerry Runte (D-York) suspects there hasn't been sufficient time to take a 50,000-foot view to see how all the pieces of energy supply and demand could plan and work together. He's hoping the bipartisan bill he introduced during a public hearing Tuesday afternoon will formalize and increase collaboration between agencies involved in grid planning.
'I need to emphasize: the intent of this bill is not to interfere with the ongoing grid planning process,' Runte told the Legislature's Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee. Rather, its purpose is 'to refine how it interacts with other initiatives and give it a bit of a tune up for future planning.'
The grid is the system of transmission and distribution lines that bring electricity from where it is generated to the homes of ratepayers and other points of end use.
Last summer, the Public Utilities Commission concluded its process of gathering input on priorities for grid plans. The largest privately owned utilities in the state, Central Maine Power and Versant Power, are required to submit their plans next January, Runte said.
Meanwhile, the Governor's Energy Office completed the state's energy plan earlier this year that laid out pathways to achieve climate resilience and affordability goals. The portions of the plan that focused on electricity were based on a supply and demand forecast that considered reliability, emissions reductions, the role of emerging technologies and more, Runte explained.
As Runte understands it, that forecast in the state's energy plan looked circuit by circuit to develop a bottom-up analysis. However, the forecasting model used in the Public Utility Commission's grid planning looks at capacity and load data from the regional grid, ISO-New England, taking a more top-down approach.
Maine doubles down on commitment to address climate change with updated action plan
Given the connection between the state's energy plan and future grid needs, Runte said he believes the agencies involved in grid planning should use the same load forecast. While LD 1726 calls for using the forecasting model in the state energy plan, Runte said he expects robust discussion on which of the two may be more appropriate.
Public Advocate Heather Sanborn testified neither for nor against the bill, however, she raised concerns about limiting the forecast model over an uncertain amount of time because energy forecasting models are constantly evolving.
The bill also seeks to ensure that future planning considers grid enhancing technologies at the energy distribution level that could improve efficiency and reliability. To do that, the proposal would have the Public Utilities Commission consider adding incentives for improved data and grid monitoring of power quality reliability, the state of infrastructure, as well as capacity.
Runte's proposal also addresses the procurement of new energy sources. While the legislation covers multiple aspects of procurement, Runte said the bids for those new sources should be informed by the grid planning process to minimize the amount of new infrastructure.
Another aspect of grid planning is energy demand management and non-wires alternatives — or projects that use alternative technology to avoid new investment in the transmission system. Currently, those two components are spread between three different agencies in Maine. Runte's bill would ask the Public Utilities Commission, the Office of Public Advocate and Efficiency Maine to assess how those aspects of planning are shared among them and report back to the Legislature on how the process could be improved.
'The idea of this bill is to strengthen governance by establishing formal linkages to activities that have a direct impact on or perhaps should be subject to the findings of a grid plan,' Runte told the committee.
The Public Utilities Commission, as well as the Governor's Energy Office, also offered neutral testimony on the proposal. Though legislative liaison Caroline Colan said the Governor's Energy Office shares Runte's goal of enhancing coordination where feasible in grid planning processes, she said some parts of the bill could be overly prescriptive.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Iowa Republican Jim Carlin announces primary campaign against Joni Ernst for US Senate
Iowa Republican Jim Carlin is launching a primary campaign against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, saying the two-term senator has failed to deliver on her famous "make 'em squeal" mantra. 'Joni Ernst said she would go to D.C. and make them squeal,' Carlin said in a statement, referring to a viral campaign ad that helped propel Ernst to her first term in 2014. 'After a decade, it's clear it was a clever campaign commercial, not conviction. Rather than making them squeal, Joni has joined The Swamp." Carlin is a former state senator and trial lawyer who served in the Iowa Legislature from 2017 to 2022. He is the founder of the Iowa Liberty Network, a group focused on "maintaining the liberties endowed by our Creator through getting authentic, constitutional conservatives elected to the state legislature and other public offices," according to its website. Carlin previously mounted a primary campaign against Iowa's other Republican U.S. senator, Chuck Grassley, in 2022. He positioned himself to the right of Grassley, arguing he was more conservative on issues such as immigration and the Second Amendment, and he criticized Grassley for voting to certify the 2020 election in Democrat Joe Biden's favor without pushing to investigate unsubstantiated allegations of fraud. Grassley defeated him 73.5% to 26.5%. "Senator Ernst has a proven record of conservative leadership — cutting waste, securing the border, and making Washington squeal to keep Iowans' hard-earned money in their own pockets," Ernst's campaign manager Bryan Kraber said in a statement. "And she delivers for our families, farmers and veterans. Iowans already saw through Carlin's last failed campaign, and they'll reject his desperate attempt at relevance again in 2026.' Carlin said in a news release that Ernst pledged to serve just two terms in the U.S. Senate when she first ran in 2014, even though she is now seeking a third term. And he said she angered "America First conservatives" with her reluctance to support Republican President Donald Trump's pick to lead the U.S. Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth. Ernst ignited a firestorm among Republicans by withholding her support for Hegseth initially, although she ultimately voted to confirm him. Carlin also pointed to Ernst's 2022 vote for the Respect for Marriage Act, which garnered intense pushback from some Iowa Republicans. At least 17 county parties voted to condemn or censure Ernst over the vote. 'Iowans deserve a voice in Washington, D.C., who actually listens to them and represents them — not big donors and special interests,' he said. 'More than that, Iowans deserve someone who genuinely cares about them and will work to make their lives better. There are enough self-serving establishment politicians in Washington. President Donald J. Trump needs America First allies, not adversaries.' Ernst has not formally announced her reelection effort, but she has hired a campaign manager and scheduled her annual Roast and Ride fundraiser for the fall. One other Republican challenger, Joshua Smith, has announced a campaign against Ernst for the GOP nomination. And two Democrats have formally entered the race: Knoxville Chamber of Commerce director Nathan Sage and State Rep. J.D. Scholten of Sioux City. State Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, and state Rep. Josh Turek, D-Council Bluffs, have also previously said they are considering running. Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at bpfann@ or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Joni Ernst gets primary challenge from Iowa Republican Jim Carlin
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Property taxes, book bans and resolutions: Three Grand Forks lawmakers discuss recent session
Jun. 6—GRAND FORKS — Through an hour-long conversation looking back on the 2025 legislative session, three Grand Forks state lawmakers found moments of agreement and professed similar opinions on issues more than they disagreed. Rep. Nels Christianson, Rep. Erik Murphy and Rep. Zac Ista, all from Grand Forks, went through some of the topics from the session with different mindsets but familiar answers. For example, on the matter of property tax and Gov. Kelly Armstrong's bill — which expanded the primary tax credit to a maximum $1,600 and capped local-level tax increases to no more than 3% annually — Christianson said they found some common ground. Property tax was one of the several issues discussed during the legislative wrap-up, held at the Grand Forks County office building on Thursday, June 5. All 18 members of districts 17, 18, 19, 20, 42 and 43 were invited, but Ista, Murphy and Christianson were the only ones in attendance. Joel Heitkamp, host of KFGO News and Views and a former state senator, served as moderator. Some issues involved public funding to private schools, Medicaid, the North Dakota Republican Party and what bills the legislators worked on. Property tax was among the most newsworthy issues during the session. Armstrong discussed it prior to his November election and his bill, HB 1176, was not passed until May 2, near the end of the session. "Did we deliver relief? Yes," Christianson said. "Reform? Maybe not so much." Murphy said property taxes are typically something outside of the Legislature's lane, but that he begrudgingly supported Armstrong's property tax bill. "Property tax is part of the reality of living in a nation such as ours," he said. "Property tax, to me, is a local issue." Ista, the only Democrat among the three, said there will be a trade-off. Homeowners will get some tax relief, but political subdivisions will have to figure out how to continue to pay for things. "Now the burden is going to fall on our local, county, city, school districts to see how to live within this new reality. I think it's going to be a challenge going forward for the state and locals to balance it," he said. One issue on which all three agreed was the matter of banning books. Each legislator was against it, though they had different thoughts on the matter. Ista said he has voted against every book censorship bill, and will continue to do so every chance he gets. "The issues in our state that affect our kids are not what books are displayed where in our libraries," he said. "I love taking my kids to Grand Forks Public Library and watch them go down that big pink slide, and I've never once worried about what book they might stumble into." Christianson said that, under no circumstances, should books be banned. Instead, he said, they should be placed in the appropriate area, and that he wants his daughters to be able to go around the children's section of the library and look at any books they would like in that section. "I absolutely do not support taking anything out of the ability for people to check out from the library," he said. "I just want to make sure that ... parents have a chance to be in the loop, just that parents can understand what their children are reading, especially in the younger ages." Murphy said there are better things to do and think about in North Dakota than book bans, and he mentioned Senate Bill 2307, which would have required libraries to make material considered sexually explicit unavailable to minors, and could penalize failure to comply. One issue he took with the bill was the difference between what was said about it versus what it would really do, he said. "What it really did is, opened up every library in the state, whether it's UND's library, it opened up the (North Dakota Museum of Art)," he said. "If there's a nude in there, that could be considered pornography, therefore we need to take that picture down." Two resolutions that failed during the session — House Concurrent Resolution 3013, which requested the U.S. Supreme Court overturn gay marriage, and House Concurrent Resolution 3020, declaring that "Christ is King" of North Dakota — drew disagreement between Christianson, who voted "yes" on both, and the other two legislators, who voted against them. Christianson's thought on HCR 3013 was that issues such as marriage need to be defined at the state level, not through a court decision, referencing Obergefell vs. Hodges, the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding same-sex marriages. Ista said that it was probably the darkest day of the session for him when the resolution came to the floor, and that he was caught "flat-footed" by it. He said he had thought everyone had moved beyond the issue of marriage equality. Murphy said it's not up to him to decide who any individual should love. He also said that during this recent school year, he knew of students who were transgender and transitioning. The resolution sends the wrong message to North Dakota residents and creates a division in the state, he said. As for HCR 3020, Murphy simply said "absolutely not" when Heitkamp asked if he thought North Dakota should be in the business of declaring that Christ is king. Ista said that the faith leaders in his life respected a foundational concept of no official religions in America, and that, while he respects the religion of his colleagues, the state should be accommodating to all religions and not place one above the others. Christianson said the resolution would have no effect on state policies, claiming that he voted for what he believes is the truth. "It was simply a statement, and that's a statement that I will make every day, that Christ is king," he said.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Montana Public Service Commission finally stands up to NorthWestern Energy
Electricity pylons (Photo by Getty Images). It's fair to say Montanans have been raked over the coals for electricity costs by the utility companies that have followed in the wake of the disastrous utility deregulation bill passed by the 1997 Legislature and signed into law by then-Gov. Marc Racicot. The faulty premise on which the measure was sold to the Legislature was that Montanans would enjoy lower electricity costs thanks to customers having 'choice' to shop among the various utilities that were supposed to materialize. But that didn't happen. The opponents to the measure cited the simple fact that Montana already had the lowest price for electricity in the region, thanks in large part because Montana customers had already paid the Montana Power Company, as a regulated monopoly, to build and maintain a series of hydroelectric dams. As one long-time lineman quipped 'you can't make electricity cheaper than water running downhill.' Driven by the Montana Power Company's intent to change from a utility to a telecommunications company, Touch America, the 200+ page bill was jammed through in the last weeks of the session with most legislators having no idea what was in it — nor the consequences of their actions. Yet the Republican legislative majorities voted to grant Montana Power's wish, bolstered by the Butte Democrats — except for brave Danny Harrington who didn't kow-tow to the utility. It was arguably the worst decision ever made by Montana's lawmakers and governor. First to go were the dams, which were sold to an out-of-state utility, Pennsylvania Power and Light. Next to go was the Montana Power Company itself, taking with it the pensions and stock holdings of Montanans who thought of it as 'our' power company. Then Touch America, headed by Bob Gannon, the former CEO of the Montana Power Company, went bankrupt. In the meantime, Montanans' electricity bills began their skyward climb as the dams were sold yet again, each time for a higher price, that was then loaded on customers. Realizing the extent of the damage caused by the deregulation debacle, the Legislature finally decided to re-regulate in 2001. NorthWestern Energy is now our 'regulated' electricity supplier since acquiring the system in 2000. It's fair to say Montana's Public Service Commission has not been diligent in holding down rates, which have gone from the lowest to the highest in the region. But here's the good news. Thanks to Brad Molnar, who was a commissioner from 2004-2012, was re-elected in 2024, and is now the new president of the Commission, NorthWestern has finally hit resistance to its unending requests for rate increases. In a tremendous article, Daily Montanan's deputy editor, Keila Szpaller, lays out in detail Molnar's firm stance against the increase. Citing a 50-year old law, NorthWestern claims the Commission did not take timely action and raised rates nearly 17% on May 25 without Commission approval. Molnar says the increase 'will be crushing to many low-income people, many of whom are simply elderly, that are being handed their butts every day in property tax increases, in utilities, insurance for their houses, insurance for their cars. You name it. This is a very, very bad time to be a poor person, and this will make it worse.' If the rate increase is unjustified, NorthWestern will have to refund the over-charge plus 10%. As Molnar put it: 'It is time for them to grow up and quit playing the victim and actually take responsibility for their actions.' We'll see what happens, but for now, Montanans owe a debt of gratitude to Commissioner Molnar for finally standing up to NorthWestern instead of rubber-stamping their endless rate increases.
