In partnership with Maine Street Solutions, the firm's public affairs and government relations affiliate, Verrill's Energy Group serves a wide range of clients before the Maine Legislature and its Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Technology. Through Maine Street Solutions, the firm also offers public relations and local campaign assistance to assist in the permitting and construction of major energy infrastructure projects.

Before the Maine Legislature, the firm has been directly involved in nearly every aspect of major energy legislation over the past seven decades. We monitor every printed bill and offer our clients essentially gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Energy Committee. Our diverse team includes seasoned energy lawyers and experienced lobbyists with a strong track record of helping our clients achieve their goals through a balance of technical legal acumen and political savvy on both sides of the aisle. When bills are before the Committee, we help our clients analyze the technical and legal aspects of legislation, prepare testimony and amendments as appropriate, forge relationships with other interest groups and regulators, testify during public hearings, provide information to legislators and staff, and work with legislative leadership and rank and file members when a bill hits the floor of the House or Senate.

In addition to our services within the State House in Augusta, our team is also skilled in media relations, public campaigns, municipal relations, and grassroots efforts. We offer these services to clients when they are looking to develop infrastructure projects within particular communities, or to supplement lobbying efforts within the Legislature. In recent years, our team helped provide important community connections that enabled Summit Natural Gas to develop new infrastructure within fifteen or more communities. We have helped developers of wind energy projects work with local communities.

For more information about related experience by our team, please visit our Experience page.

Firm Highlights

Blog

Carolyn Gilbert Nominated to Maine PUC

On March 28, Governor Janet Mills nominated Carolyn “Carrie” Gilbert to serve a six-year term on the Maine Public Utilities Commission. For the past 15 years, Gilbert has worked at Daymark Energy Advisors where...

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Crisis emerges in Maine over safe disposal of biosolids from wastewater treatment plants

Maine wastewater treatment plants are currently facing intense challenges concerning disposal of their sewage sludge , also called “biosolids.” This is a fast-moving issue getting significant coverage in the media and substantial attention from...

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Maine Voters Reject “Pine Tree Power” Proposal

Last Tuesday, by a margin of 70% to 30%, Maine voters rejected Question 3, the highest profile issue on the Maine ballot this year. Question 3 was placed on the ballot earlier this year...

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Proposes National Drinking Water Standard for Six PFAS Compounds

On March 14, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced a proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”). PFAS are a category of manufactured chemicals that...

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Verrill Partner Jim Cohen Speaks to Groups Across Maine About Pine Tree Power

For nearly two years, Verrill partner Jim Cohen , who has been practicing energy and utilities law for more than three decades, has been traveling throughout the State of Maine to speak with numerous...

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Maine PUC Asked to Fix “Leapfrogging” Problem Triggered by 2022 Changes to Maine’s Generator Interconnection Rule

The Maine Public Utilities Commission is currently considering whether to commence a formal emergency rulemaking process to amend Chapter 324 of its rules governing generator interconnections. The purpose of the rulemaking would be to...

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PFAS Regulatory Update: Dates You Need to Know

Public Comment on the Federal Proposed Drinking Water Standards for Six PFAS Compounds On March 29, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), published in the Federal Register its proposed national drinking water standards...

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Georgetown Broadband LLC Secures Utility Pole Attachment Authorization for Community Broadband Project

On February 17, 2023, Georgetown Broadband LLC (GBLLC) became the latest community broadband entity to receive pole attachment authorization from the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to deploy a fiber broadband network. GBLLC began...

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Verrill's Jim Cohen To Speak on Past and Future of Maine’s Electric Grid at 2023 Winter Bar Conference

Verrill partner Jim Cohen will be presenting at the Maine State Bar Association’s Winter Bar Conference 2023, on Friday, January 27, in Portland. Cohen’s presentation, The Past and Future of Maine’s Electric Grid...

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82 Verrill Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers® 2024, Including 10 Named Lawyers of the Year

Contact Verrill at (855) 307 0700