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On July 2, 2026 a hearing officer at the Maine’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) issued a procedural order ruling on the OPA’s renewed motion to stay in the PUC’s investigation of time of use (TOU) rates for delivery and standard offer service for investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities.

The hearing officer stated that “[g]iven the substantial progress made towards agreement, the stay extends to August 14, 2026. If no stipulation is filed on or before that date, the schedule will resume. With these rulings, the following Revised Interim Schedule, shown in legislative format for clarity, is adopted.”

2025-176 Revised Interim Schedule

Action                                                                                                                                                                                  Date

Exeter’s response to questions on benefits calculations (if necessary)                                            July 7, 2026

Utilities’ final questions on Synapse straw proposals                                                                         July 7, 2026

Staff’s responses to parties’ questions on Attachment 2- Reconciliation Overview                         July 10, 2026

OPA/Synapse final response to utilities’ questions                                                                              July 15, 2026

Order directing CMP and Versant to prepare cost and time estimates                                               August 18, 2026

OPA/Synapse responses to Staff questions in June 16 procedural order                                           August 20, 2026

Cost estimates and benefit estimates filed with supporting testimony                                               November 20, 2026

As background, on May 13, 2026, the Office of the Public Advocate (OPA) filed a Motion to Stay to Facilitate Settlement Discussions. That motion was assented to by many of the parties to this investigation and no party opposed it. In a procedural order dated May 26, 2026, the Presiding Officers denied the motion but encouraged the parties to continue to discuss settlement while allowing the remaining iterative process to conclude. The OPA was requested to report on the progress in settlement talks on or before June 26, 2026.

“On June 25, 2026, the OPA reported that substantial progress had been made during two well-attended two-hour settlement discussions, that a third meeting is scheduled for mid-July, and that a “concept draft” is under development and review. The OPA renewed its motion for a stay with the full support of all but two parties, neither of whom opposed the motion.”