Regulated Local Distribution Companies Currently Authorized To Serve In Maine
Northern Utilities, d/b/a Unitil, provides natural gas service to over 35,000 customers in Greater Portland, Lewiston, Auburn, and portions of Southeast Maine. Northern is a subsidiary of Unitil Corp. Unitil’s headquarters are located at 6 Liberty Lane West, Hampton, New Hampshire, and Northern’s regional office is located at 376 Riverside Industrial Parkway, Portland, Maine. Northern serves numerous municipalities in central and southern Maine such as Lewiston, Auburn, Portland, Westbrook, South Portland, Biddeford, Saco, Scarborough, and Kittery. Northern’s gas supplies come from Canada, and the producing regions of the eastern United States are transported to its system through interstate pipelines. This is supplemented by Northern’s stored liquified natural gas facility during winter peak usage conditions. Northern’s rates are composed of two components – its delivery (or transportation) rates and its gas supply rates. Included in the delivery rate are the customer charge and the distribution charge which are set in a rate case and adjusted for certain cost changes as approved by the MPUC. Gas supply rates are revised every six months to reflect seasonal differences in gas prices and may be revised monthly depending on market conditions. For more information, visit Rates and Tariffs. Northern has served Maine through connection to the U.S. pipeline system since 1967 under traditional cost-of-service distribution rates.
Bangor Gas Company, L.L.C. provides natural gas service to approximately 8,800 customers in the Greater Bangor area. Bangor Gas is a subsidiary of Unitil Corp. Unitil’s headquarters are located at 6 Liberty Lane West, Hampton, New Hampshire, and Bangor Gas’s regional office is located at 498 Maine Avenue, Bangor, Maine. Bangor Gas obtains its gas supplies from contracts with gas marketers and from purchases at Dawn Ontario. Bangor Gas’s supplies are delivered via the Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline and the Portland Natural Gas Transmission System interstate pipelines. Bangor Gas’s rates are composed of two components – its delivery (or transportation) rates and its gas supply rates. Gas supply rates are revised and approved every month. Delivery rates (comprised of a customer charge and a transportation charge) are set in rate case proceedings and will only change when a new rate case is filed and approved. Bangor Gas began service in 1997 and operated under an Alternative Rate Plan (35-A M.R.S. §4706) until 2022.
For more information on Bangor Natural Gas tariffs, visit:
Maine Natural Gas Corporation (MNG) is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. and is headquartered at 9 Industrial Parkway, Brunswick, Maine. MNG benefits from the expertise of its much larger sister company, Avangrid subsidiary New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG), for gas procurement and management services. MNG operates 232.5 miles of natural gas distribution pipeline, serving approximately 6,250 customers across 13 central and mid-coast communities including: Augusta, Bath, Bowdoin, Brunswick, Chelsea, Freeport, Gorham, Hallowell, Pownal, Topsham, Whitefield, Windham and Windsor. MNG currently operates under an approved rate plan that includes different distribution rates for its Non-Augusta service area and its Augusta service area. In 2024, MNG celebrated 25 years of providing reliable service to Maine customers. For more information, visit MNG.
Summit Natural Gas of Maine, Inc. is authorized to serve customers in towns throughout the Kennebec Valley region, from Richmond to Augusta to Madison. Summit Natural Gas obtained the PUC’s approval to serve customers in January 2013. Summit Natural Gas' delivery rates and service terms for each customer class may be found at Rates & Tariff | Summit Natural Gas of Maine. Summit Natural Gas offers conversion incentives to prospective customers under its rebate program. Customer rates are composed of delivery and supply components, both of which are subject to annual adjustment. Summit Natural Gas offers transportation-only service to commercial customers. Summit receives gas from the Northeast region supplemented by renewable natural gas from an anaerobic digester in Clinton Maine. Summit began serving Maine in 2014 under an approved Alternative Rate Plan.