The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has announced that it will be splitting up the purchase of the state’s electricity amidst pricing uncertainty. Typically, the PUC chooses an electrical supplier through a competitive bidding process once a year to provide a fixed “standard offer” price for power throughout the year. “We have seen considerable price volatility related to the war in Iran which has a significant impact in New England because of the fact that we rely on [liquefied natural gas],” Bartlett said. The cost of electricity in Maine is closely tied to the price of liquefied natural gas because New England’s power grid relies heavily on gas power plants. Next year’s electricity prices will be released after the rest of the PUC’s purchasing is completed in the fall.