Bill > LD1936

This bill amends existing Maine law to change how costs and benefits related to net energy billing and long-term energy contracts are allocated to customers of investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities. Specifically, it modifies how "post-restructuring stranded costs" (costs incurred by utilities due to changes in the energy market structure that are difficult to recover through standard rates) are allocated, ensuring that any financial benefits from distributed generation (like solar panels) that are not already accounted for in rate setting are used to offset these costs. The bill also updates the process for determining these cost allocations and rate designs, which will apply from July 1, 2028, onward, and mandates that the commission (the Public Utilities Commission, or PUC) aggregate similar customer classes across utilities to ensure equitable distribution of costs and benefits. Additionally, it expands the definition of "long-term energy contract" to include contracts under a new section, 10313, subsection 7, and clarifies that the allocation of costs and benefits for these contracts will also be aggregated by customer class for equitable distribution starting July 1, 2028. Finally, it makes a minor change to how costs and benefits of procuring distributed generation resources are handled, ensuring the process is similar to that for long-term energy contracts.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1936&snum=132