Bill > LD450

This bill comprehensively repeals Maine's existing net energy billing laws and prohibits the Public Utilities Commission from requiring transmission and distribution utilities to allow customers to participate in net energy billing. Net energy billing is a practice where customers can receive bill credits for electricity they generate and send back to the grid, typically through solar panel installations. The bill eliminates several existing statutes related to net energy billing (sections 3209-A through 3209-E) and modifies property tax exemptions for solar energy equipment. Specifically, the bill narrows solar energy equipment tax exemptions to only apply when all generated energy is used on the same property where the equipment is located, removing previous provisions that allowed exemptions for equipment connected to net energy billing programs. The bill also removes language about distributed generation resources and their interconnection requirements. Essentially, this legislation effectively dismantles the current net energy billing framework in Maine, which could significantly impact the economic incentives for small-scale solar energy production by reducing financial benefits for solar energy system owners who previously could sell excess electricity back to the grid.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=450&snum=132