Blog Posts

        Category: Electricity
        by Hans C. Eysenbach on August 5, 2025

        Maine just launched a new cabinet-level energy policy office. Last month, Governor Janet Mills signed LD 1270 into law, creating the new Maine...

        by Jonathan M. Dunitz on July 9, 2024

        The Maine PUC has recently opened two related dockets that will significantly impact the renewable energy industry. The first, Docket No. 2024-00137,...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on April 14, 2022

        On or before May 2, 2022, the Maine Public Utilities Commission has requested bids for proposed transmission and generation resources that would...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on December 20, 2021

        On December 1, 2021, the Maine PUC released a Report on the first phase of its investigation into necessary design and operational changes to the...

        by James I. Cohen on April 22, 2021

        On April 14, 2020, the Nature Conservancy and The Great Plans Institute announced the final report of the Maine Utility Regulatory Reform and...

        by Scott D. Anderson on April 1, 2021

        The energy and environmental landscape is constantly evolving. On Thursday, April 22, 2021, Halfmoon Education Inc. presents a full-day, virtual...

        October 15, 2020

        Yesterday, the Maine Public Utilities Commission issued a request for comments related to the MPUC’s Net Energy Billing Report to the Legislature....

        September 24, 2020

        Today, the Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) issued an Advisory Ruling establishing a safe harbor for the determination whether a generation...

        September 23, 2020

        Yesterday, all three Maine Public Utilities Commission Commissioners agreed to adopt a new standard for the determination of what facilities qualify...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on August 14, 2020

        Yesterday, the Maine Law Court deemed unconstitutional a ballot initiative to overturn the Maine PUC’s approval of the transmission line known...

        by James I. Cohen on March 24, 2020

        On Tuesday March 24, 2020, both the City of Portland and the State of Maine issued comprehensive new limitations on business establishments in order...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on March 24, 2020

        The response to COVID-19 by states across the U.S. has continued to evolve rapidly. In Massachusetts, due to growing concerns over the spread of...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on March 20, 2020

        Like many states, Maine is quickly imposing a wide range of measures designed to protect the public in response to the spread of the coronavirus,...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on March 12, 2020

        Last year, the Maine Legislature enacted three bills requiring amendments to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Rules in Ch. 815: Consumer...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on February 27, 2020

        Last week, the Maine PUC submitted to the Maine Legislature its Report, authored by London Economics International (LEI), on the costs and benefits...

        January 8, 2020

        The Commission to Study the Economic, Environmental and Energy Benefits of Energy Storage to the Maine Electricity Industry has issued its report to...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on January 7, 2020

        On January 6, 2020, longtime Verrill partner and energy lawyer Jim Cohen appeared at a legislative symposium hosted by the Maine Chamber of Commerce...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on December 12, 2019

        Recent legislation amending the net energy billing (NEB) rules to include a tariff rate program specifically for commercial customers and directing...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on October 22, 2019

        Transmission and distribution (T&D) utility customers have often been understood to care most about two things: reliability and cost—usually,...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on June 3, 2019

        Supplying electricity during peak demand, the period of highest customer demand for electricity (typically around 4 – 7 p.m.), increases the costs...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on May 1, 2019

        According to a Boston Consulting Group report released last week, transmission and distribution (T&D) utilities stand to gain significant value...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on February 6, 2019

        Sourced from Steve Mitnick, Public Utilities Fortnightly, "A Day (Two Actually) at the Maine PUC" (January 2019). In this posting, I summarize a...

        by Hans C. Eysenbach on January 2, 2019

        On December 17, 2018, the Maine PUC exempted medium and large non-residential customer classes of CMP and Emera from compliance with the Commission's...

        November 7, 2016

        The PUC has issued a proposed rule that would change Maine's net metering compensation for rooftop solar (and other distributed generation). Under...

        July 28, 2016

        Much of the discussion around solar policy focuses on rooftop solar. While rooftop solar is an option for certain homeowners with suitable rooftops...

        June 16, 2016

        On Tuesday, the PUC opened a new docket (2016-00120) requesting comments from interested stakeholders about the future of net metering (also known as...

        May 27, 2016

        The Maine Public Utilities Commission recently opened a new docket, 2016-00081, to process refunds to energy intensive manufacturers in Maine out of...

        April 1, 2016

        Eight years ago, Central Maine Power (CMP), Maine's largest T&D utility, proposed the Maine Power Reliability Program (MPRP)—a comprehensive...

        March 15, 2016

        On March 10, the Maine Legislature's Energy, Utilities & Technology Committee reported out a bill that is the culmination of the solar...

        January 28, 2016

        The Maine Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the Maine Public Utilities Commission’s decision that Central Maine Power Company’s advanced metering...

        Firm Highlights

        Alerts and Newsletters

        Maine’s New Employer Surveillance Law, 26 M.R.S. § 620-A

        Effective July 14, 2026 Maine employers that electronically monitor employees must comply with a new disclosure law effective July 14, 2026. Under...
        Press Releases

        Verrill Recognized by U.S. News as One of the Best Law Firms to Work for in 2026

        BOSTON, Mass., BANGOR and PORTLAND, Maine, GREENWICH and WESTPORT, Conn., – Verrill has been featured on U.S. News’ 2026 Best Companies to Work...
        Blog

        SECURE 2.0 Roth Catch-Up Rules and the 403(b) 15-Year Catch-Up: What Tax-Exempt Employers Need to Know

        Tax-exempt employers whose 403(b) plans offer catch-up contributions for participants age 50 and above should be well on their way to compliance with...
        Media Mentions

        Robert Keach Quoted in Law360 on SIMAD Summer Camp Bankruptcy Sale

        Verrill attorney Robert Keach was recently quoted in a Law360 article examining the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings involving SIMAD Holdings and...
        Media Mentions

        Chris Tsouros Featured in Law360’s Coverage of Sports Real Estate Deals

        Verrill Partner Chris Tsouros was recently recognized in a Law360 article highlighting law firms involved in significant sports real estate projects...
        Blog

        What Maine’s New Employer Surveillance Law Means for Maine Employers

        Maine employers who monitor their workforce, whether through productivity software, GPS, call recording, or cameras, have a new compliance obligation...
        Blog

        Run Don’t Walk: The Implication of “While Supplies Last” Prize Promotions

        This month a big-chain grocery store has been offering daily mystery boxes during specific timed drops on a first-come, first-served basis, to users...
        Blog

        Maine’s Noncompete Statute is Reshaped for Health Care Workers: What You Need to Know

        Employers of individuals who are licensed under state law to perform, or provide, health care services in the State of Maine should be prepared for...
        Media Mentions

        Steven Davis Featured in the Environmental Business Journal

        Steven Davis, President of Verrill Strategic Consulting, was recently interviewed and featured in the Environmental Business Journal, Volume 39...
        Blog

        What is a Bonus for Purposes of ERISA?

        An ongoing dispute about a Department of Labor advisory opinion published last September raises a basic but unanswered question under the ERISA: What...
        Media Mentions

        Verrill Recognized by WMTW for Partnership Supporting Hunger Relief in Maine

        Verrill was recently featured in coverage by WMTW News 8 for its role in a collaborative effort to combat food insecurity across southern...
        Press Releases

        33 Verrill Attorneys, Across Four Offices, Recognized in the 2026 Chambers USA Guide

        BOSTON, Massachusetts, PORTLAND, Maine, WESTPORT, Connecticut, and WASHINGTON, D.C. – Verrill has been recognized as a Leading Firm in 14...