By Sen. Matt Harrington

Have you driven around the state and noticed the massive solar fields that have seemingly popped up all over the place? I know I certainly have. Did you know that it is, in fact, you who is paying to fund these large projects that largely benefit out of state hedge funds and venture capital firms?

Hello, this is Senator Matt Harrington of York County. I have the honor of serving as the Assistant Republican Leader in the Senate; and I represent the communities of Alfred, Lebanon, Sanford and Waterboro. I serve as the Senate Republican Lead on the Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee.

In 2019, legislation passed with the intention of spurring solar energy development through Net Energy Billing (NEB), allowing customers to offset part of their electric bill by receiving credits for small renewable energy projects. Unfortunately, the solar subsidies were tied to natural gas rates and rose too high, too fast when natural gas prices spiked.

While the intent of solar subsidies was to diversify our energy sources, Republicans recognized that the rapid rise in subsidies was not going to be sustainable. By 2021, we began warning that these solar subsidies were doing more harm than good. While some changes were made, they didn’t go far enough. Because of the increased subsidy rates, the out of state companies that had invested in these solar fields began to be compensated at the expense of the average ratepayer.

Despite repeated attempts to scale back subsidy programs to sustainable levels, Democrats have continued to support these large-scale solar developments that raise electricity costs for individual Mainers and countless businesses.

Let me be very clear about our position on Net Energy Billing. If you have invested in solar on your property and are putting power back into the grid, you should continue to be compensated for that power at the fair market rate.

We should not, however, be paying well over market value for electricity generated by massive solar fields that are popping up all over Maine. The previous Public Advocate, who was appointed by Governor Mills, even warned that the growth of this program and the inclusion of these solar fields in the Net Energy Billing program were not sustainable.

Because of these too-generous subsidies, Maine ratepayers are on the hook for $220 million per year over the next 20 years. That is $4.4 billion in program costs that Maine ratepayers are going to be forced to burden. Mainers already pay the sixth highest electricity rates in the country. We simply cannot afford to keep funding these massive solar projects that do nothing to reduce fossil fuel or coal use, or reduce global emissions.

There are ways to fix this program. Net Energy Billing should be restored to the modest and affordable program that existed before the Legislature expanded it in 2019.

We should direct the Public Utilities Commission to expand its competitive bidding program specifically for small solar projects, and solar should be subject to the same procurement process as every other source of energy.

There is a smart way to implement solar and an expensive way to implement solar. Since 2019, we have chosen the latter. Republicans are not trying to end the development and use of solar energy in Maine. We are simply attempting to pursue a path that does not further burden ratepayers.

This week, Republicans introduced several bills to scale back this practice and rein in Maine’s high energy rates. Unfortunately, with Democrats in full control of the Legislature, it will be an uphill battle to repeal Maine’s solar taxes. If you’re sick of paying for solar projects you haven’t signed up for, reach out to your elected officials and tell them you want them to support Legislative Republicans’ efforts to fix this broken program.

Again, this is Senator Matt Harrington of York County with this week’s Republican Radio Address. Thank you for listening and make sure to follow Maine Senate Republicans on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Senator Matthew Harrington serves as the Assistant Senate Republican Leader. He represents the communities of District 33, which includes four communities in York County. He is the Senate Republican Lead for the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee.