CMP Seeks Temporary Rates to Lower Customer Costs and Support Grid Investment
As the Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) develops guidance on multi-year rate plans and grid plan priorities, proposal would lower bills by $4 per month starting in July
AUGUSTA, ME – February 17, 2026 – Central Maine Power (CMP), a subsidiary of Avangrid Inc., announced today that it has submitted two filings to the Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) that, if approved, would provide customer rate relief beginning in July 2026 while continuing to fund critical grid resiliency and reliability investments. The two filings, which have been in development since late 2025, include the Company’s Notice of Intent to File a One Year Rate Case and Seek Temporary Rates and the Company’s 2025 Annual Compliance Filing and Price Change. The combined outcome of the proposed changes, if adopted as presented, would result in a bill decrease of approximately $4 per month for the average CMP residential customer beginning on July 1, 2026.
“Today, Central Maine Power is announcing a proposal that will lower electricity prices this summer,” said Linda Ball, President and CEO of CMP. “This responsible solution is meant to serve as a bridge while the MPUC, with input from stakeholders, develops its new multiyear rate plan guidance. If authorized, this proposal will help protect customers from rising costs, reduce financial risk, continue to strengthen the grid, and lower the average residential bill by about four dollars a month starting this summer.”
Under CMP’s proposal, temporary rates would account for grid investments already made. The temporary rate proposal would align with CMP’s Annual Compliance Filing, which, if approved, would reconcile charges related to the severe storms that affected CMP’s service area primarily in 2023 and 2024. Together, these proposed changes would result in a rate reduction of approximately $4.
The Company recognizes the importance of waiting for the Commission’s forthcoming guidance on both multiyear rate plans and grid plan filings, which are expected later this year. Until further guidance on future rate plan filings is received and next year’s Annual Compliance Filings occurs, it is not possible to accurately project customer rate impacts beyond 2026. By law, temporary rates cannot be enacted without the submission of at least a one-year rate proposal.
About Central Maine Power: Central Maine Power Company (CMP), a subsidiary of Avangrid, Inc., is Maine’s largest electricity transmission and distribution utility. Established in 1899 and based in Augusta, Maine, CMP serves approximately 670,000 customers across 346 communities in central and southern Maine. It operates approximately 23,500 miles of distribution lines and 2,900 miles of transmission lines. Over the last decade, the company has invested approximately $3.5 billion in Maine system infrastructure. For more information, visit www.cmpco.com.
About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. is a leading energy company in the United States working to meet the growing demand for energy for homes and businesses across the nation through service, innovation, and continued investments by expanding grid infrastructure and energy generation projects. Avangrid has offices in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, and Oregon, including operations in 23 states with approximately $48 billion in assets, and has two primary lines of business: networks and power. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.4 million customers in New York and New England. Through its power generation business, Avangrid owns and operates 80 energy generation facilities across the United States producing 10.5 GW of power for over 3.1 million customers. Avangrid employs approximately 8,000 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens – in 2025 for the fifth consecutive year. The company was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2025 for the seventh consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit http://www.avangrid.com.