PORTLAND (WGME) – Maine lawmakers are looking to lower your power bill while maintaining the state’s commitment to clean energy.

A bill lowers the amount families and businesses pay to the state’s Net Energy Billing program by an average of $7 a month.

Maine’s community solar program has led to enormous growth of solar power in Maine but also rising costs to the state’s Net Energy Billing system.

This year, Net Energy Billing costs are expected to top $234 million to help subsidize solar projects.

State Representative Sophie Warren says the bill she co-sponsored is about getting solar costs under control.

“It’s right-sizing this really important program. Making sure that we’re not overpaying for what is really valuable energy on our grid,” Warren said. “Making sure that we’re doing it in a fair way that’s mindful of people’s pocketbooks.”

She says ratepayers in Maine will save $61 million in the first year after the law takes effect on January 1.

“And then those savings are forecast to increase as we start to delink the compensation for community solar,” Public Advocate Heather Sanborn said.

Sanborn says this legislation will save Maine electricity customers more than $1 billion over the next 16 years.

But Revision Energy told lawmakers, “The implementation of the bill as written would introduce significant uncertainty in both program costs and benefits.”

But as far as Maine’s rooftop solar program goes, there are no changes.

It only impacts larger solar projects.

The bill also encourages the integration of battery storage in all current and future solar projects, which could save solar customers money on hot, sunny days.

“We’re going to need it at 6:30 and 7 p.m. when the sun is at a much lower level, but it’s still really hot and everyone’s still running their air conditioning at full blast when they get home from work,” Sanborn said. “So we need to have a lot of storage built into our system.”

“We’re trying to incentivize the use of energy storage, actually,” Warrne said. “So that you could use all your energy, and you can use it at a time that makes the most sense for you.”