CMP bills are complicated. And if you’ve stepped into community or home solar, the twists and turns on your bill can truly be mysterious. The charges vary from month to month, and it can seem impossible to budget or get a handle on how best to economize.
It’s not right, or just, for such a basic part of our modern life to be so opaque. While we can’t solve all that tangle right at the moment, we can offer you a chance to come to an evening at the Camden Public Library, with your CMP and solar bills in hand, so that someone can help you untangle what you’re seeing.
During the evening Emily Rochford, from Maine Community Power Cooperative, and others (see listing below), will explain the various players in Maine’s energy market. We’ll also get a taste of a possible approach to community-owned solar that could help Camden and Rockport residents get more affordable electricity.
The event is Thursday, November 13, at 630 pm at Camden Public Library. (See the complete listing below or at the library website, where you can register for zoom.)
Energy Coaching Kickoff
We had a festive evening last Monday at Flatbread Pizza, meeting fellow Camden and Rockport residents (and beyond) interested in volunteering with our coaching program. Then on Thursday we had the chance to hear from Brian Robinson speaking about our homes as energy systems, and Connie Evans explaining the Window Dressers process and the advantage of window inserts to help make our homes more comfortable. You can listen to the evening here.
This week, on Thursday (11/6), the public (and all energy coaches) is invited to a discussion of home electrification. See more in the listing below.
Camden and Rockport are part of a growing number of Maine communities realizing that energy coaching is an important way to help us through this vital energy transition. The state is also exploring ways to bring energy coaching to all communities—so what we learn and do here as an energy community will help a much broader initiative. FYI, the following towns either currently have coaching programs or are in the exploration/setup phase: York, Brooklin, Mt. Desert, Southern Maine, Yarmouth, to name a few. This pdf from York explains the process from a homeowner’s perspective.
It’s not too late if you’re interested in helping—coaches will be trained on a rolling basis, and homeowners wanting free energy coaching sessions will be able to sign up during the course of the next 18 months. Learn more here, or email camdencan2025@gmail.com.
Want a Boost? Become A Climate Ambassador
If you’re looking for a fun way to meet other climate-concerned Mainers, check out A Climate to Thrive’s Climate Ambassador Program here—they’ll be opening a training after the new year. (And you’ll not just be an ambassador, you’ll be a climate badass….)
Upcoming Events for a Climate-Changed Community
November 4, Tuesday. Vote—democracy is a vital part of the path to climate resilience.
November 4, Tuesday, 6:30 – 7:45 pm, Camden Public Library, Incredible, Edible Milbridge: Creating a Strong, Healthy, and Food Independent Community. Mark Grant will share all about Incredible Edible Milbridge, the groundbreaking, free, pick-your-own vegetable garden initiative in Milbridge, ME. Incredible Edible Milbridge (IEM) is a community’s response to the ongoing food and food-security challenges, inflation, and supply-chain mishaps. This wildly successful food-security project was launched in 2013. These public gardens produce organic vegetables for 30,000 meals each growing season, ensuring their neighbors have access to nutritious food.
November 6-7. Thursday and Friday, King Tides. Head down to Camden or Rockport harbor to witness the king tides. Thursday’s high tide is 12.5 feet at 10:42; Friday’s is 12.6 feet at 11:32.
November 6, Thursday, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Parker Room of the Rockport Opera House at 6 Central Street. Camden/Rockport Energy Coaching/Energy Literacy Project, a technical expert from ReVision Energy will explain why a growing number of households are switching to electricity for their home heating, water heating, ranges and more. Learn about what to consider in transitioning your home to electricity, what incentives are available, and how this change may affect our electric grid. See more here.
November 6, Thursday, 5:30-8:30 pm. Nature-based Shoreline Solutions workshop with experts from Maine DEP, Maine Coastal Program, and Midcoast Council of Governments (MCOG). For practitioners, local officials, and community members; bring pictures of areas-of-concern to discuss with an expert. Free—register through MCOG. (Bath, 31 Centre St Unit 101, Bath, ME 04530, USA—it may also be virtual, check the registration link.)
November 7, Friday, 3-6:30 pm, GoLogic Shop in Belfast, ScaleUp, Carbon Down: from Vision to Action. Hands-on tour, lightning talks, and community discussion. Not to miss! At GO Logic panelization shop in Belfast. Free. Please register through EventBrite!
November 8, Saturday, 10:00-12 noon, Nativity Lutheran Church, 179 Old County Road, in Rockport. “Reducing Food Waste at Home.” Retired SNAP Nutrition Educator/former owner of Amalfi restaurant, Nancy Wood, and Cindy Wright of the Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District, will speak about ways to prepare and store food and tips for composting food scraps year round in your in-town or rural home or apartment. For more see here.
November 11, 4-5:00 pm, 90 Mechanic Street, Camden (for this meeting only). CamdenCAN’s Resilient Reading Group. Facilitated conversation circle exploring current climate science and all its implications. Come meet others wanting to improve their climate literacy and explore ways to think about living in a climate-changed world. First book is Kate Marvel’s Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet. Second book is Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart/Brian D. McLaren. See more about it here. You don’t need to attend all gatherings—drop-ins are welcome. Future dates will be 11/25, 12/9, 12/23, 1/13/26, 1/27/26. Listen to this great interview with Kate Marvel here.
November 13, Thursday, 6:30-7:45 pm, Camden Public Library. CamdenCAN’s Camden Talks Climate series, Understanding Your Utility Bill, with ME Community Power, ME Climate Action Now, Maine Conservation Voters, Our Power, and A Climate to Thrive. Curious about all the line items on your CMP bill? Are you a subscriber to community solar and can’t figure out those bills and how they fit with your CMP bill? Emily Rochford, of the Maine Community Power Cooperative, will be assisted by others to explain those opaque charges. In addition, there will be information on how to access financial assistance programs, and how to engage in efforts to reform the electrical utility system in Maine. There will also be information about the latest proposed CMP rate hikes and what’s going on with the Maine PUC. Visit the library listing here, where you can register for virtual attendance.
Concluding Thoughts
Low light, early dark, a sea of tawny browns.
Harsh as it seems at first, November has its own joys and stories. Gordon Bok’s Tune for November is one such.
Thanks for being here with us.