Maine Commercial Electricity Rates for Cannabis Facilities: CMP Classes, Standard Offer Tiers, and ISO-NE Context

Maine vs. U.S. average commercial rates

Sector	Maine, June 2026	U.S. average, June 2026	Premium
Commercial	22.24 cents/kWh	14.19 cents/kWh	+57%
Industrial	14.21 cents/kWh	not in state file	—

Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A [eia-epm-5-6-a].

Maine commercial power costs more than most states because delivery infrastructure spans a low-density region, winter heating load drives ISO New England capacity costs, and standard offer procurement relies partly on imports from the Maritimes [mpuc-standard-offer-rates]. A facility with flat lighting load may price closer to the industrial average; a facility with spiky winter peaks pays the commercial-class premium.

CMP commercial delivery classes

Central Maine Power splits non-residential delivery by measured demand [cmp-mgs-tariff]:

Class	Demand threshold	Demand charge
Small General Service	Under 20 kW	None (energy-only delivery)
Medium General Service (MGS)	20 kW to 400 kW	Per-kW distribution and transmission demand
Intermediate General Service (IGS)	400 kW to 1,000 kW	Per-kW on-peak demand
Large General Service (LGS)	Above 1,000 kW	Per-kW on-peak demand, primary-voltage variants

Per-kW figures change on tariff updates. Pull current rates from the CMP rate schedule page before quoting a specific dollar amount [cmp-mgs-tariff].

A Tier 2 or Tier 3 cultivation facility typically lands on MGS or IGS. A Tier 4 canopy operation with full HVAC and lighting can reach LGS.

Versant Power delivery classes

Versant serves two districts:

District	Grid	Commercial classes
Bangor Hydro District	ISO New England	Separate commercial schedules (not fully extracted in data file)
Maine Public District	NMISA	Small business under 50 kW (energy-only); Rate E-P medium power with $21.14/kW combined demand [versant-mpd-tariffs]

Rate E-P bills billing demand as the greater of the 15-minute maximum demand or 50 kW minimum floor, plus a $265.21 customer charge [versant-mpd-tariffs].

Standard Offer Service benchmarks

The PUC procures standard offer through annual competitive bids under 35-A MRSA 3212 [mpuc-standard-offer-rates]:

Territory	Class	2026 price range
CMP	Medium non-residential	8.76 cents/kWh (May) to 19.52 cents/kWh (January) [mpuc-cmp-medium]
CMP	Large non-residential	7.23 cents/kWh (May) to 18.23 cents/kWh (January) plus ~$3.34-$3.42/kW capacity [mpuc-cmp-large]
Versant MPD	Large non-residential	13.82 cents/kWh to 23.53 cents/kWh [mpuc-mpd-large]

2026 CMP medium-class standard offer suppliers are 20% Constellation and 80% New Brunswick Energy Marketing [mpuc-standard-offer-rates]. Use these figures as benchmarks when comparing CEP offers, not as prices you are locked into if you shop.

ISO-NE capacity and seasonality

CMP and Versant Bangor Hydro District sit in ISO New England [mpuc-standard-offer-rates]. Capacity costs in the Forward Capacity Market affect supply prices for CEP contracts and the large-class standard offer capacity charge [mpuc-cmp-large].

Maine runs 7,758 heating degree days and 238 cooling degree days statewide [noaa-cag-maine]. Winter peaks from heating supplementing grow rooms drive January standard offer spikes. A fixed CEP contract is the primary hedge against indexed large-class exposure.

How to read a Maine commercial bill

A typical CMP bill for a demand-metered account shows:

1. Customer charge. Fixed monthly fee by class.
2. Delivery energy charge. Cents per kWh for distribution and transmission energy.
3. Delivery demand charge. Dollars per kW for the billing-period peak demand.
4. Supply charge. Either Standard Offer Service (PUC-set) or CEP contract rate.
5. Capacity charge. On large-class standard offer, a monthly per-kW capacity line [mpuc-cmp-large].

Delivery lines stay with CMP or Versant. Only the supply line changes when you switch to a CEP. See understanding your commercial utility bill for a line-by-line walkthrough.

Worked example: CMP medium-class cultivation site

Assume 150 kW peak, 100,000 kWh monthly, on CMP Medium General Service with January medium-class standard offer at 19.52 cents/kWh [mpuc-cmp-medium] [eia-epm-5-6-a]:

Line item	Calculation	Monthly cost
Supply (January standard offer)	100,000 x $0.1952	$19,520
Delivery demand (estimate)	150 kW x ~$12/kW	~$1,800
Delivery energy (estimate)	100,000 x ~$0.06	~$6,000
Total estimate		~$27,320

Same site in May at 8.76 cents/kWh medium-class standard offer drops supply to $8,760 [mpuc-cmp-medium]. A fixed CEP contract at 10 cents per kWh holds supply near $10,000 year-round.

Versant Maine Public District premium

Facilities in Aroostook County on Versant MPD face higher standard offer and delivery costs [mpuc-mpd-large]. Rate E-P bills $21.14/kW combined distribution and transmission demand with a 50 kW minimum billing demand floor [versant-mpd-tariffs]. A 100 kW facility pays at least $2,114 per month on demand lines before energy.

Northern Maine operators should not use CMP southern pricing as a benchmark [mpuc-mpd-large].

Confirm CEP offers against the current month's standard offer price for your class on the MPUC website before signing [mpuc-standard-offer-rates].

CMP versus Versant delivery class ladder

CMP splits non-residential delivery by demand: Small General Service under 20 kW, Medium General Service above 20 kW up to 400 kW, Intermediate General Service above 400 kW up to 1,000 kW, and Large General Service above 1,000 kW [cmp-mgs-tariff]. Versant Maine Public District Rate E-P bills $11.87/kW distribution plus $9.27/kW transmission with a 50 kW minimum billing demand floor [versant-mpd-tariffs]. Bangor Hydro District schedules differ and were not pulled for this page [versant-mpd-tariffs].

Standard offer class mapping

Medium non-residential standard offer gets fixed monthly prices from the PUC's annual bid [mpuc-cmp-medium]. Large non-residential standard offer is indexed to wholesale and reset each month [mpuc-cmp-large]. CMP 2026 large-class energy ranged from 7.23 cents/kWh in May to 18.23 cents/kWh in January plus a capacity charge [mpuc-cmp-large]. A grow that crosses into the large class without signing a CEP contract carries full winter wholesale exposure [mpuc-cmp-large].

NMISA pricing in northern Maine

Versant's Maine Public District is administered by NMISA rather than ISO New England [mpuc-mpd-large]. 2026 MPD large-class index energy ranged from 13.816 cents/kWh to 23.533 cents/kWh [mpuc-mpd-large]. Facilities in Aroostook County should not assume New England market pricing or supplier availability [mpuc-mpd-large].

January versus May standard offer spread

CMP 2026 medium non-residential standard offer energy ranged from 8.7608 cents/kWh in May to 19.5198 cents/kWh in January [mpuc-cmp-medium]. Large class indexed energy ranged from 7.2290 cents/kWh in May to 18.2259 cents/kWh in January plus capacity [mpuc-cmp-large]. Fixed CEP contracts are the primary hedge against that winter spread [me-35a-3212].

Bangor Hydro versus MPD

Versant Bangor Hydro District schedules differ from Maine Public District Rate E-P [versant-mpd-tariffs]. Down East cultivation sites should confirm which district serves the address before modeling standard offer [versant-mpd-tariffs].

Additional procurement and tariff notes

Maine commercial averaged 22.24 cents/kWh and industrial 14.21 cents/kWh in June 2026 [eia-epm-5-6-a]. The spread reflects demand-class structure more than supplier choice [cmp-mgs-tariff].

Additional load and utility notes

35-A MRSA 3202 opened retail access March 1, 2000 [me-35a-3202]. Consumer-owned utilities remain outside CEP choice [me-35a-3202]. Confirm CMP or Versant territory on every lease [mpuc-electricity].

Additional load and utility notes

Efficiency Maine custom track awards up to fifty percent of project cost for engineered cultivation retrofits [efficiency-maine-at-work]. Pull current MGS/IGS per-kW charges from live tariff sheets before quoting [cmp-mgs-tariff].

Re-bid timing for indexed large class

Re-bid CEP contracts in Q4 before January indexed spikes repeat 2026 patterns [mpuc-cmp-large]. Medium class fixed monthly prices also swing sharply winter to summer [mpuc-cmp-medium]. Pull live MGS and IGS per-kW figures before investor presentations [cmp-mgs-tariff].

CMP January versus May standard offer spread

CMP 2026 medium non-residential standard offer energy ranged from 8.7608 cents/kWh in May to 19.5198 cents/kWh in January [mpuc-cmp-medium]. Large class indexed energy ranged from 7.2290 cents/kWh in May to 18.2259 cents/kWh in January plus capacity near $3.34 to $3.42/kW [mpuc-cmp-large]. A facility that crosses into large class without a CEP contract carries full winter wholesale exposure [mpuc-cmp-large]. Fixed CEP contracts remain the primary hedge [me-35a-3212].

Supplemental tariff and procurement detail

Versant Bangor Hydro District tariffs differ from Maine Public District Rate E-P minimum demand rules [versant-mpd-tariffs]. Confirm district before applying CMP worked examples [versant-mpd-tariffs]. Efficiency Maine custom incentives require engineering analysis before horticultural capex [efficiency-maine-at-work].

Versant district comparison

Bangor Hydro and Maine Public District use separate tariffs; MPD Rate E-P carries a 50 kW minimum billing demand floor [versant-mpd-tariffs]. NMISA administration yields higher 2026 indexed standard offer than CMP [mpuc-mpd-large]. Pull live MGS per-kW charges before quoting [cmp-mgs-tariff].

Standard offer re-bid window

Re-bid CEP contracts in Q4 before January indexed large-class spikes repeat 2026 levels [mpuc-cmp-large]. Medium class fixed monthly prices also swing sharply [mpuc-cmp-medium]. Consumer-owned utilities remain outside CEP choice [me-35a-3202].

Where to go next

• How to switch suppliers in Maine for enrollment steps.
• Maine hub for market overview.
• Demand charges explained for how kW billing works.
• State commercial rate comparison tool for multi-state benchmarks.

Confirm current tariff rates and standard offer prices on the MPUC and utility sites before signing a contract.