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PUC Expands Scope of Default Service Time of Use Rates Investigation
The Maine Public Utilities Commission issued an order formally expanding the scope of the time-of-use (TOU) investigation to include additional rate designs that could offer savings to residential and small-business customers of Central Maine Power Company and Versant Power.
The expanded docket will specifically include an examination of Critical Peak Pricing, Peak Time Rebate, and EV-Only Charging rate designs. The order further allows for “other rate designs that may be proposed by the parties [that] would provide savings for customers.”
As background, on June 20, 2025, the Commission initiated this investigation “to consider whether to order Maine’s investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities to develop and offer time of use rates for both delivery and standard offer service for residential and small business customers.”
In response, several parties filed comments recommending that the Commission expand the scope of this investigation to consider a broader range of program options.
Synapse’s straw proposal recommended that the Commission should also consider including Critical Peak Pricing (CPP), Peak Time Rebate (PTR), and EV-Only Charging Incentives.
After considering Synapse’s straw proposals and the comments of the parties, the Commission, in its most recent order, decided to expand the scope of the proceeding to include CPP, PTR, and EV-Only charging rate designs.
