Joining the Cooperative
Need support with your Maine Community Power Cooperative account?
Check out the Support Resources page.
Any residential or small business (SGS) customers of Central Maine Power (CMP) is eligible to join the cooperative. Versant Power customers are encouraged to pre-register.
Check second page of your Central Maine Power bill, under Delivery Charges. If you see "Delivery Charges: SGS . . ." your business can sign up.
Yes. You can enroll several utility accounts under one membership.
If you have a utility account for your home, your camp, and your small business, for example, you can subscribe all three accounts under one MCPC membership. After you sign up we'll help you set up your account.
Yes. Many homes have solar panels that cover most but not all of their annual energy requirements. You can participate in our community solar program and we’ll cover the rest of your energy needs.
Yes, you can sign up to become a member today. You do not need to cancel your other subscription to sign up.
You will need to cancel your other community solar subscription before you receive kWh credits from our projects. Our team will help you coordinate canceling your existing community solar subscription at the right time. Now is a good time to review your community solar subscription contract terms - some providers require a 3 or 6 month notice of cancellation.
A membership share represents your ownership stake in the cooperative.
It is a one-time payment that grants you full membership rights, including access to cooperative services, participation in events, and voting privileges.
Your membership share is fully refundable if you choose to leave the cooperative.
If you move within our service area, your new account will be added to your membership. If you move outside our service area, your membership will be canceled and your membership deposit will be refunded.
Membership Benefits
Since the cooperative owns the solar projects, we have control over the rates charged to our members. The board of directors reviews and approves rates on an annual basis. Rates may be adjusted to account for the cost of operating the cooperative, but you will not be exposed to energy price volatility as experienced in the open market.
Yes. Members get to vote on decisions regarding how the cooperative is run. Members are also eligible to run for a seat on the Board of Directors at the annual meeting. Our cooperative works to serve its members.
Our Discount Model
Maine is one of the most energy-burdened states in the country, meaning residents spend a disproportionately high share of their income on energy costs. We offer a sliding scale discount to mitigate the excessive energy burden on populations experiencing lower incomes.
We offer three options:
10% discount: For small businesses or residential customers who want to support the sliding-scale discount model.
- : Standard residential membership.
- 20% discount: Income-eligible membership. (Households must earn less than 80% of area median income or meet other criteria, subject to verification)
Unlike other providers who only discount the usage portion of your bill, we apply discounts to both energy usage and the base fee, including CMP's fixed delivery charge. This means greater relief and protection against further increases in CMP’s base charge, which is currently $27.37/month and has more than doubled in the last two years.
20% Discount Eligibility
Households earning less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) or below 200% of the federal poverty line are eligible for a 20% discount.
After signing up, we’ll verify eligibility using one of the methods below:
1. (Preferred Option) Categorical Eligibility: We can quickly verify your participation in a federal, state, or tribal program with similar income limits.
If you’ve already verified your income through another income-limited program, we can accept that eligibility letter – no need to resubmit financial documents.
If anyone in your household participates in one of the following programs, you automatically qualify:
- Efficiency Maine low-income energy upgrade rebates
- Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- MaineCare
- Manufactured (Mobile) Home Initiative
- Or other income-eligible programs
If you’re enrolled in a program but aren’t sure if the income limits are similar, please let us know by emailing verification@mainecommunitypower.com and we can help you check.
2. Income Eligibility: You can verify eligibility by submitting your federal or state tax return or a tax return transcript.
If you don’t qualify through a program listed above, we can use your tax information instead. We (and probably you!) prefer to avoid asking for and sharing sensitive information, so we strongly encourage exploring categorical eligibility first.
However, we know those programs aren’t accessible to everyone, and we want to make cooperative membership available to all. If you’d like to verify your income using your tax return, we have a secure system in place. Please email verification@mainecommunitypower.com and we’ll guide you through the next secure steps.
Please do not send over any personal or tax information via email.
If we cannot verify your eligibility to receive a 20% discount, all members are eligible to receive a 15% discount.
Reach out anytime — we’re here to help:Have questions about qualifying for a 20% discount? Email verification@mainecommunitypower.com
Community Solar
A recent study prepared for the Maine Public Utilities Commission found that net energy billing (which includes community solar projects) resulted in net savings of more than $30 million in 2023. Read the full report here.
No. This is a common myth perpetuated by anti-solar activists. Columbia Law School recently released a report debunking common myths about solar, wind, and electric vehicles. Read the report here
You can learn more about community solar by checking out the Maine Office of the Public Advocate website.