Corporate tax cuts could translate to big savings in New Englanders' electricity bills
Tony Buxton talks to the Bangor Daily News about how New England electricity customers may directly benefit from a cut in federal corporate taxes. Consumer advocates argue that a recent 40 percent reduction in the corporate income tax rate should be passed directly on to New England energy consumers.
An Excerpt
“Some states, including Maine, have alternative rate-making formulas which encourage, supposedly, utilities to be more efficient. Utilities, however, are very good at gaming the formulas,” says Tony Buxton, an energy lobbyist who represents many of Maine’s largest energy consumers, such as paper mills. Those companies can have huge electricity bills, with the federal tax a significant portion of that.
Buxton says utilities that can are likely to try to stall action, but the tax benefit should be passed on to consumers as quickly as possible. And Maine’s public advocate, Barry Hobbins, agrees that it’s consumers, not Central Maine Power’s shareholders, who should benefit.