Maine Community Power Cooperative

What Maine Community Power Cooperative does

Maine Community Power Cooperative (MCPC) is a consumer-owned cooperative founded in 2024 that develops and operates small-scale community solar projects across western Maine for Central Maine Power (CMP) customers. Each project occupies a footprint of less than one acre and is sized to serve 50-80 households, with two projects currently live in Harrison, Maine (including the Forest Keep Solar Farm) and a planned statewide footprint of six sites. The cooperative was developed by the Center for an Ecology-Based Economy (CEBE) with technical assistance from the Cooperative Development Institute and is Maine's first public solar cooperative; it has secured over $3 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.

The core product is a subscription to solar credits applied to members' CMP electricity bills at a discount. Discounts apply to the full electricity bill (not just the usage portion), with three tiers: 20% for verified low- to moderate-income households (priority assignment), 15% for standard residential members, and 10% for small businesses. Members pay a $100 membership share in $10 monthly installments, receive voting rights in cooperative governance, and are assigned to projects as capacity opens — current projects are full and enrollment is paused. The pricing architecture, including discounting of CMP's fixed delivery charge and a credit-banking mechanism that bills members only for credits actively applied, is the primary differentiator versus typical community solar providers.

Revenue derives from member subscriptions for solar credits and from membership share contributions; MCPC does not publicly disclose revenue. The technology stack is composed of third-party integrations rather than proprietary IP: Bayou Energy for utility data retrieval, Stripe for payments, PowerMarket for subscription/billing (effective July 2026), and Google/Apple SSO for authentication, with Google Analytics for site analytics. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via a website portal and community information sessions, with marketing partnerships through Our Power Maine, CEBE, Maine Conservation Voters, and the Cooperative Development Institute co-marketing the cooperative's mission-aligned value proposition.

Name

Maine Community Power Cooperative

Legal name

Maine Community Power Cooperative, Inc.

Website

https://mainecommunitypower.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Maine Community Power Cooperative is a consumer-owned cooperative developing small-scale community solar projects across Maine. Members subscribe to solar credits on their Central Maine Power bills, receiving 10-20% discounts on total electricity costs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Solar Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail & Community PPAs (Community Solar/Shared Renewables) (EUAGADAC), Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD), Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities) (EUADABAC)

Keywords

• Community solar program
• Cooperative energy services
• Solar electricity credits
• Member-owned solar
• Renewable energy cooperative

Headquarters

HQ city

Norway

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Solar Credits Subscription: Members receive solar electricity credits applied to their Central Maine Power bills at discounted rates (10-20% off). MCPC bills members monthly for solar credits plus the CMP balance. Revenue comes from member payments for solar credits received.
2. Membership Shares: $100 membership share paid in $10 monthly installments. Members become partial owners of the cooperative with voting rights.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Maine Community Power Cooperative is a consumer-owned cooperative that develops small-scale community solar projects in western Maine and assigns members to those projects so they receive discounted solar credits on their Central Maine Power electricity bills. Members join for a $100 membership share paid in $10 monthly installments and save 10-20% on total electricity costs (including fixed delivery charges), with priority assignment to low- and moderate-income households. The cooperative also offers a solar project hosting program that leases roughly one-acre plots from landowners at $4,000 per year.

Product overview

Maine Community Power Cooperative operates as a consumer-owned cooperative offering community solar subscription services. The core product is the Community Solar Program, which includes the Forest Keep Solar Farm in Harrison, Maine as the first operational project. Members receive electricity credits from locally-generated solar power with discounts ranging from 10-20% depending on eligibility (low-income households receive 20%, standard residential receives 15%, small businesses receive 10%). The cooperative provides a member portal for account management and offers two billing methods: Pay One Bill (single consolidated payment) and Pay Two Bills (separate CMP and MCPC payments). A discount calculator tool helps prospective members estimate savings. The cooperative also operates a solar project hosting program for landowners. Beginning July 2026, billing transitions to the PowerMarket platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Solar Program Consumer-owned cooperative community solar subscription program for Central Maine Power customers in Maine. Members join for a $100 membership share (paid in $10 monthly installments) and are assigned to a small-scale community solar project, receiving 10-20% discounts on total electricity costs applied as credits to their CMP bill.
• Forest Keep Solar Farm Operational community solar project located in Harrison, Maine, and one of MCPC's first live installations. Low- to moderate-income members are prioritized for assignment to this project and begin receiving credits on their CMP bill approximately 2-3 months after signing up.
• Member Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• 20-40% reduction in household energy expenses
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PowerMarketcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2026Beginning July 2026, PowerMarket will handle MCPC subscriptions and billing. Members will manage accounts and pay bills through PowerMarket customer portal.
• Cooperative Development InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 July 2024Provided technical assistance during MCPC's development. CDI supports cooperative development across the region.
• Center for an Ecology-Based Economy (CEBE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2024CEBE developed MCPC over seven years and is developing community solar projects and cooperatives under MCPC. CEBE selected by DOE for $2.9M ERA program award. Hosts Energy Expo where MCPC presents. CEBE is a core founding partner.
• Our Power MainecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMCPC partnered with Our Power Maine for co-marketing. Our Power promotes MCPC to their supporters as a way to save 15-20% on CMP bills while supporting well-sited community solar.
• Bayou EnergycoreTechnology or IntegrationMCPC retrieves utility account billing and usage data through Bayou Energy platform. Privacy policy references Bayou Energy's data handling practices.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processor handling credit card transactions. All payment data handled and stored by Stripe per privacy notice.
• Revision EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRevision Energy presents at Sun Day Waterville event about home backup batteries, solar panels and solar farms alongside MCPC.
• Maine Conservation VotersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host utility bill education sessions and climate-related events with MCPC across Maine communities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MaineCommunityPower
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maine-community-power-cooperative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maine Community Power Cooperative