PORTLAND — In a forum quickly reconfigured after the last-minute withdrawal of Gov. Paul LePage, his challengers for the Blaine House delivered speeches detailing how their energy policies would differ from the governor’s and, to a lesser degree, each other’s.

The forum was billed as the first major event where all three gubernatorial candidates would be in the same place, talking about the same topic at about the same time to a room of about 275 people, many of whom are involved in policymaking or business related to energy issues.

For Democratic candidate and U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud and independent Eliot Cutler, it was the first time they put their oratory side-by-side, weaving their own fabrics of policy and politics.

Michaud, who took the stage first, focused early on specific decisions he would have made differently than LePage, delivering a familiar criticism of what he called the governor’s “my-way-or-the-highway approach in government.”

“We need to be willing to compromise at times and find common ground and ideas that we can build upon, and that’s what’s been sorely missing over the last several years in Augusta,” Michaud said.

He took shots at LePage’s decisions during the last four years, including the governor’s frequent use of the veto pen and decision to fight for a University of Maine offshore wind project to vie for support from ratepayers as a pilot project. That push led the Norwegian company Statoil to abandon a pilot project in Maine.

“I will continue to support and champion what the university is doing, but I would never have manipulated that support to drive out from the state of Maine the private investment dollars that would have made a huge difference here in the state,” Michaud said.

In his administration, Michaud said he would encourage the expansion of a range of renewable energy sources, a plan to reduce home heating oil use 50 percent by 2030, expanded charging infrastructure for electric cars and more foreign investment in energy projects.

Cutler, who spoke after Michaud, referenced little from LePage’s term in office and delivered a more policy-heavy speech, centered on a five-point plan for changing how energy is priced.

“My guiding principle is to make markets reflect more accurately real costs,” Cutler said.

That includes the state encouraging the formation of energy service provider companies, or ESCOs, that would work in concert with his proposed Maine Energy Financing Authority to evaluate, plan and finance energy efficiency projects in the state.

His plan also calls for expansion of natural gas pipeline that he said could act as a “bridge” to “more stable and long-term solutions,” an electricity billing system called net-metering that discounts power users puts back into the grid from their monthly bill, and research into power storage that could retain electricity from fickle renewable sources such as wind, solar and ocean power that are subject to weather patterns.

Both candidates advocated for increased efficiency investments, a move away from fuel oil heating, encouraging more electric vehicles and incorporating a mix of energy solutions playing into the state’s power plan.

In a written statement issued near the end of Michaud’s on-stage remarks and the start of Cutler’s, LePage echoed his stance that the state has to lower electricity costs “to recruit larger companies and even more good paying jobs to Maine.”

With only the two candidates presenting Friday, Cutler’s speech catered more to the audience of energy industry and environmental professionals, speaking about current concepts in the energy sector, such as distributed power generation and net metering. But he did venture into the political as well, taking a jab at Michaud and LePage.

“It’s not just about being better than LePage. It’s not about wielding the veto pen less and being a nicer person. Those are all pretty low hurdles,” Cutler said. “It’s about putting someone in charge as governor who can look beyond the next four or eight years and make smart decisions about Maine’s long-term future.”

As Cutler and Michaud stumped for support of the 275 assembled on Friday, the Maine Renewable Energy Association announced its endorsement of Michaud shortly after the forum ended, saying “he has a proven track record of fighting for renewable energy investments” and praising his Maine Made business and investment plan.

Both candidates spoke for about 15 minutes, leaving another 15 minutes for questions from the audience, a period when the tone of each speech continued with Michaud emphasizing a willingness to deal across party lines to move policy forward and Cutler claiming authority in energy issues.

Cutler asserted that Environment Maine Executive Director Emily Figdor hadn’t been listening to his remarks when she asked whether he supported natural gas expansion despite research showing emissions associated with its extraction, transport and other aspects are less favorable.

“Clearly, you either weren’t listening to my remarks or you prepared your question before you heard them,” Cutler said. “What I said about gas coming into the pipeline into New England is that we need it as a bridge.”

Despite the earlier confusion, the candidates concluded their remarks on schedule at 9:30 a.m.

Jeff Marks, executive director of event organizer E2Tech, said the late withdrawal by LePage clouded the forum’s focus on energy policy, which also included presentations from Efficiency Maine Executive Director Michael Stoddard and Patrick Woodcock, director of the Governor’s Energy Office.

“Unfortunately, the governor’s decision at the last minute not to participate in the forum because of the presence of the two other candidates in the room has distracted many from focusing on the important policy issues discussed this morning by the speakers and audience,” Marks said in a statement.