A Maine Electric Company with History

Initially founded as the Kennebunk Electric Light Department in December of 1893 to provide street lighting throughout the Town of Kennebunk, Maine, the District is one of eight consumer owned, not-for-profit electric utilities in the state of Maine.

There are only two “light and power districts” in the state of Maine: one in the Town of Kennebunk and the other in the Town of Van Buren. Light and Power Districts are formed by a special and private act of the Legislature based upon a request by the citizens of a town. The Act to incorporate the Kennebunk Light & Power District was passed by the 95th Legislature, A.D. 1951.

In short, the Act transferred all the rights, power and authority of the town of Kennebunk electric light and power system to the District forming a consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric lighting and power plant. The District’s charter defines the territorial limits of the District to include parts of the town of Lyman, Wells and North Kennebunkport (now Arundel) as were served by the electric light department in 1951.