On April 28, 2026, the Maine Public Utilities Commission (the “Commission”) voted unanimously during its public deliberations session to reopen the bid window and issue an amended Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for Renewable Energy Generation and Transmission Projects under the Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program. Commissioner Bartlett proposed the action, framing it as an effort to increase the likelihood that the RFP will solicit proposals that are ratepayer-beneficial and result in the approval of contracts that are in the public interest. Commissioners Scully and Gilbert expressed agreement with the proposal. Commission staff are expected to issue an order reflecting this decision in the near term.
This post provides contextual background on the Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program and the RFP that led to today’s decision and offers several observations on what comes next.
The Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program
The Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program traces its origins to 2021, when the Maine Legislature enacted An Act to Require Prompt and Effective Use of the Renewable Energy Resources of Northern Maine, P.L. 2021, Chapter 380, codified at 35-A M.R.S. § 3210-I. The statute directs the Commission to issue a request for proposals seeking to procure two key components: (1) a transmission line or lines capable of delivering at least 1,200 megawatts of renewable energy resources located in Northern Maine to the system administered by ISO New England (“ISO-NE”), and (2) renewable energy generation projects in Northern Maine that will produce the energy carried by those lines.
The Commission conducted an initial procurement under the statute in Docket No. 2021-00369, issuing an RFP on November 29, 2021. That first procurement was ultimately terminated by Commission order on December 22, 2023, at which time the Commission indicated its intent to initiate a second procurement. In the interim, the Legislature made several amendments to the statute through P.L. 2023, c. 660, including a provision authorizing the Commission to coordinate with other states, governmental entities, or utilities within New England.
The December 2025 RFP
On December 19, 2025, the Commission issued its second RFP under the statute, launching a coordinated procurement effort with four other New England states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont (collectively, the “Coordinating States”). The RFP sought viable and cost-effective proposals for the development of renewable energy generation projects in Northern Maine and a transmission line or lines to connect those projects to the ISO-NE system.
The RFP contemplated two contract types upon award. For the generation component, developers would enter into one or more 20-year Power Purchase Agreements (“PPAs”), with payments contingent on the actual delivery of energy. For the transmission component, a Voluntary Agreement (“VA”) would be executed between the appropriate agencies in the Coordinating States and the selected transmission developer, providing cost recovery through a FERC-approved cost-based formula rate.
The Commission indicated a strong preference for joint proposals combining both generation and transmission components, though standalone proposals for either component were also accepted. The procurement was designed so that both selected components could submit interconnection requests in the ISO-NE Cluster Request Window anticipated for October–November 2026.
Bids submitted to the Commission were automatically shared with Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont, meaning developers did not need to submit separate proposals to those states. Developers who wished to be considered by Connecticut were required to submit an identical bid to that state pursuant to its Zero Carbon Request for Proposals.
After issuing the RFP, the Commission made several procedural adjustments. Proposals were due by February 27, 2026, with a Commission decision and award originally expected no later than May 2026.
Today’s Decision and What Comes Next
Rather than proceeding to an award, the Commission voted today to reopen the bid window and issue an amended RFP. Commissioner Bartlett’s stated rationale centered on the goal of increasing the likelihood that the procurement will yield proposals that are beneficial to ratepayers and that any resulting contracts will be in the public interest. This decision aligns with the Commission’s broad statutory authority to withdraw or modify the RFP at any time, as well as its reserved right to reject proposals if it determines that no proposal would produce a contract in the public interest.
Stakeholders, developers, and the Coordinating States should watch closely for the forthcoming order, which will likely provide additional detail on the scope of amendments to the RFP, a revised timeline, and new deadlines for bid submissions. It remains to be seen how the reopened bid window will interact with the ISO-NE Cluster Request Window timeline and the Longer-Term Transmission Planning process, both of which were key scheduling drivers in the original RFP. Interested parties can monitor developments through the Commission’s Docket No. 2026-00033.
We will continue to track this proceeding as an amended RFP is issued.
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