Maine U-Turn: Bill Banning New Gas Hookups Changed to Study Issue

In January, we told you the State of Maine was actively considering a new law, L.D. 2077, that would prohibit natural gas companies from charging ratepayers for the construction and expansion of gas service mains and gas service lines beginning Feb. 1, 2025 (see Maine Debates Democrat Bill to Limit New Natural Gas Customers). Under the bill, business and residential customers who seek new gas mains and service lines would pay the entire cost to hook up for the service themselves. In other words, nobody would pay to connect (far too expensive), resulting in a de facto ban on connecting new customers for natural gas service. However, the bill's language has been altered drastically to remove that provision and instead requires three different, separate studies of the issue.

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