Source: http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_127th/billtexts/HP088801.asp
Timestamp: 2020-08-08 17:52:37
Document Index: 622833366

Matched Legal Cases: ['§3210', '§8', '§2', '§3602', '§8', '§3603', '§3', '§ 3603', '§3604', '§4', '§3605', '§4', '§3609', '§4']

HP0888, LD 1310, item 1, An Act To Amend the Community-based Renewable Energy Program
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3210, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2009, c. 329, Pt. A, §2, is further amended to read:
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §3602, as amended by PL 2009 c. 542, §8, is further amended to read:
1. Community-based renewable energy project. "Community-based renewable energy project" means a locally owned an electricity generating facility that generates electricity from an eligible renewable resource and that the commission has determined meets the eligibility requirements of section 3603, subsection 3.
2. Eligible renewable resource. "Eligible renewable resource" means a renewable capacity resource as defined in section 3210, subsection 2, paragraph B-3.
4. Program participant. "Program participant" means a community-based renewable energy project that is participating in the community-based renewable energy pilot program established in section 3603 has been selected to enter into a long-term contract pursuant to section 3604.
Sec. 3. 35-A MRSA §3603, as amended by PL 2013, c. 454, §3, is further amended to read:
§ 3603. Community-based renewable energy program
B. The total installed generating capacity of all program participants combined may not exceed 50 100 megawatts.
D. Of the 50-megawatt 100-megawatt limit on total generating capacity under paragraph B, 10 2 megawatts must be reserved at the outset of the program for program participants that : have an installed generating capacity of less than 100 kilowatts.
3. Program eligibility criteria. To be eligible to participate in the program, a community-based renewable an energy project must:
A. Provide documentation of a resolution of support passed by the municipal legislative body or by the municipal officers, if the municipal legislative body has delegated this authority to the municipal officers, of the municipality in which the community-based renewable energy project is proposed to be located, except that any project that is proposed to be located wholly in an unorganized or deorganized area of the State or that has a generating capacity of less than 100 kilowatts is exempt from the requirement set forth in this paragraph;
B. In the case of a community-based renewable an energy project proposed to be located on the tribal land or territory of a federally recognized Indian tribe in this State, including any land owned by the tribe or held in trust by the United States for the tribe, provide documentation that the tribe supports the community-based renewable energy project;
The commission shall prescribe an application form or procedure that must be used to apply to the program under this chapter. The application form or procedure must include any information that the commission determines necessary for the purpose of administering the program. The commission shall, within 30 days of receipt of a completed application, determine whether a community-based renewable an energy project qualifies to participate in the program and respond in writing.
5. Program viability. The commission shall establish standards to ensure the viability of community-based renewable energy projects. The standards established by the commission must include:
A. Benchmarks a project must meet to ensure a project is and remains viable;
B. A process for determining completion of the development of projects; and
C. Protocols for determining a project is no longer viable.
If in the opinion of the commission a project is no longer viable, the commission may remove the project from the program.
Sec. 4. 35-A MRSA §3604, as amended by PL 2013, c. 454, §4, is further amended to read:
Long-term contracts with program participants who elect the long-term contract for community-based renewable energy pursuant to section 3603, subsection 4, paragraph A are governed by this section. In January 2016 and every 6 months thereafter until the program limits established under section 3603, subsection 2 are reached, the commission shall conduct a competitive bidding process to select community-based renewable energy projects to become program participants and enter long-term contracts under this section. The total installed capacity of community-based renewable energy projects selected in each competitive bid process must be as close as possible to but may not exceed 15 megawatts. The commission shall select the lowest cost bids, based 50% on the proposed contract price and 50% on resulting ratepayer costs. After a community-based renewable energy project is selected to be a program participant, the project must become operational and commence generating electricity within 3 years or the project's participation in the program is terminated, except that the commission may, on petition, grant an extension of up to 6 months if project completion was delayed due to factors beyond the control of the program participant.
1. Transmission and distribution utilities; required participation. Notwithstanding section 3204, the commission may shall 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 A 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.
6. Contract negotiation. For program participants with a generating capacity of one megawatt or more, the commission shall, in accordance with this subsection, conduct competitive solicitations for long-term contracts. The commission shall require that bids include full project cost disclosure. Following a review of bids received, the commission may negotiate with one or more potential suppliers. The commission shall negotiate contracts that are commercially reasonable and that commit all parties to commercially reasonable behavior. In selecting program participants for contracting pursuant to this subsection, the commission shall select program participants that are competitive and the lowest priced when compared to other available bids of the same or similar contract duration or terms.
Sec. 5. 35-A MRSA §3605, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 329, Pt. A, §4, is repealed.
Sec. 6. 35-A MRSA §3609, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 329, Pt. A, §4, is repealed.
This bill makes various changes to the community-based renewable energy pilot program. It makes the program permanent, broadens eligibility, adds provisions to ensure program participant viability, eliminates the program incentive of renewable energy credit multipliers and requires the Public Utilities Commission to use a periodic competitive bidding process to choose projects that will receive long-term contracts.