Central Maine Power wants state regulators to approve a major five-year plan that would increase its annual spending by more than $420 million over five years.

The company argues it needs significant investment in infrastructure, personnel and equipment to maintain reliability in the face of increasingly severe storms and modernize Maine's aging grid.

But opponents including Maine Governor Janet Mills claim the proposal is too expensive for electric customers already burdened by high bills. The company's plan would spend about $1.5 billion, the governor said.

CMP's request "blatantly ignores the economic reality that Maine people face every day" especially seniors, small businesses and rural residents, Mills said in a press release.

"I recognize that investing in our grid to improve

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