An Act To Encourage Community-based Renewable Energy
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3603, sub-§2, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 329, Pt. A, §4, is amended to read:
C. The total installed generating capacity of program participants within the service territory of with whom a single investor-owned transmission and distribution utility enters into a long-term contract under subsection 4, paragraph A may not exceed 25 megawatts , unless a higher capacity limit is authorized by the utility and approved by the commission. The commission shall determine a generating capacity limit for the service territory of each investor-owned transmission and distribution utility at the outset of the program, taking into consideration the utility's electric load and share of electricity market in the State. The commission may modify the generating capacity limit under this paragraph based on program experience.
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §3604, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 329, Pt. A, §4, is amended to read:
1. Investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities; required participation. Notwithstanding section 3204, the commission may direct investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities to enter into long-term contracts with program participants located within the service territory of the utility for energy, capacity resources or renewable energy credits. The commission may direct investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities to enter into contracts under this subsection only as agents for their customers and only in accordance with this section. An investor-owned transmission and distribution utility shall sell energy, capacity resources or renewable energy credits purchased pursuant to this subsection into the wholesale electricity market or take other action relative to such energy, capacity resources or renewable energy credits as directed by the commission.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the Community-based Renewable Energy Act to remove the requirement that a program participant be located within the service territory of an investor-owned transmission and distribution utility with whom it contracts.