The Maine Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 10 approved Central Maine Power Company’s competitive solicitation to procure electricity for customers receiving standard offer supply service – representing 49 percent of sales in the company’s sales territory – for one-year period starting Jan. 1, 2019.

• For residential and small business customers, the supply price is 13.7 higher than the current price, resulting in about 6.7 percent increase in an average residential bills after combining supply and delivery service.
• For medium business customers, prices about 7.8 percent higher than year, while prices for large businesses will be indexed to market prices and set in advance of each month.
• The price increases are attributed higher market prices in the New England wholesale electricity market caused by natural gas supply constraints.
  The New England region’s natural gas delivery infrastructure remains inadequate and has “expanded only incrementally,” while usage for and heating and power generation continues to grow, according to the ISO New England Inc.
• Central Maine Power is a subsidiary of Avangrid Inc. which is owned by Iberdrola SA.