Interest rates for long-term borrowing for capital improvements also would be less costly for Pine Tree Power. The anger and frustration from electric ratepayers in Maine is a far cry from the days when Iberdrola bought Central Maine Power, the state’s largest electric utility. The privately operated, nonprofit Pine Tree Power utility would contract with a private grid operator through a competitive bidding process. But Pine Tree Power would face some of the same constraints as CMP and Versant. And, like the existing utilities, Pine Tree Power would have no control over the actual cost of electricity, which comprises about half of consumers' monthly bills.

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Persons: Mainers, ”, Timothy Cox, Janet Mills, William Harwood, Seth Berry, Harwood, Ann, Ursula Schryver, Schryver, Mike Jacobs, Jacobs, who's, Christie Decker, “, Decker, Freed, Willy Ritch, ” Al, David Sharp, @David_Sharp_AP Organizations: Central Maine Power, Energy Partners, Democratic Gov, Maine Public, CMP, Nationwide, American Public Power Association, Union of Concerned Scientists, Iberdrola, Maine, Tree, Maine Affordable Energy Coalition Locations: PORTLAND, Maine, U.S, Washington, Tree, Francisco, San Diego, Ann Arbor , Michigan, Rochester , New York, Nebraska, Boston, Wilton, Pine, ” Al Cleveland