Even though Maine became a deregulated state in 1995, it wasn’t until 2001 that consumers had access to the energy market. What this deregulation means for businesses and residents of the State of Maine is that they could stop using the state utility company and switch to a competitive retailer.
Deregulation offers the same high-quality power services to businesses and residents, except the Maine electric rates are competitive. That means, when customers call an energy supplier, that company contacts the utility company to set up service. So, when they receive their bill, they see it separated into two parts — the distribution and supply.
In the State of Maine, natural gas pipelines and local distribution companies (LCDs) have regulated services. However, natural gas marketers and producers are deregulated. Despite having rules that govern the company’s conduct, no agencies are directly overseeing their day to day operations. If it is an interstate pipeline company, the access to their pipelines and rates are regulated. The state’s utility commissions oversee the rates and procedures for local distribution companies.
Maine currently has four regulated distribution companies, including Northern Utilities, Bangor Gas Company, Maine Natural Gas Corporation, and Summit Natural Gas of Maine. You can learn more information about deregulation in Maine by visiting the Maine Public Utilities Commission.