An Act To Enhance Pine Tree Development Zones LR2622(02)
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1692
Committee Amendment CA_A_S446 (Senate)
Amends: 30-A MRSA §5248

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 624, L.D. 1692, Bill, "An 
Act To Enhance Pine Tree Development Zones" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting 
clause and before the summary and inserting in its place the 
following: 
. Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §5248, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 451, Pte 
NNN, §2, is amended to read: 
§5248. Procedure 
1. 
Notice and hearing. 
Before designating a 
Pine Tree 
Development Zone or adopting a development plan, the 
le~islatiye 
seEly 
municipal 
officers 
of 
each 
applicant 
unit 
of 
local 
government or the le~islati~e-geEly~s municipal officers' designee 
must hold at least one public hearing. 
Notice of the hearing 
must be published at least 10 days before the hearing in a 
newspaper of general circulation withiR--t:"*-...ua-:H:--e~ serving the 
area of the State in which the local government is located. 
2. 
Vote of unit of local government leqislative body. 
Each 
applicant unit of local government must designate that portion of 
the Pine Tree Development Zone contained within its boundaries 
and take all actions required to satisfy the requirements of 
section 5247, 
subsection 2 by majority vote of its municipal 
officers or legislative body. 
3. 
Effective 
Development 
commissioner. 
Zone 
date. 
The 
establishment of 
a 
Pine 
is 
effective 
upon 
designation 
by 
Page l-LR2622(2) 
Tree 
the 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~.~~' 
$, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A'to S.P. 624, L.D. 1692 
4. 
Administration of zone. 
The participating units of 
local government may eFea~e-aB contract or otherwise arrange with 
a 
public 
or 
private 
organization, 
aesi,~Ba~e---un---eKi,s~i,B~ 
aeFa~~meB~-e£-~~~£y-~-~~--int~~~&~~a&~~~-a~Faa~emea~-wi,~R 
a--pl"-~-e--eB~i,~y including a regional council as described in 
section 2302, 
to administer activities authorized under this 
subchapter. 
The organization may act as the lead entity for the 
purpose 
of 
applying 
for 
and 
administering 
the 
Pine 
Tree 
Development Zone. 
5. 
Amendments. 
A-~~~~~-~~i~-~~-~~--~eveFBmeB~ 
may--amend--~he--des-~~--&f--~aa~-~-t.-i~-eE The de s ignation, 
size, location, number and configuration of the parcels in a Pine 
Tree 
Development 
Zone 
eeB~ai,aea-~~~~--~~-~-i~-e£--aB 
aaep~ea or the terms of a development plan ealy-aE~eF-mee~iB~-~Re 
~e~~iFemeB~s-~~-~~~-~~-i~-Ee~--Qes~aa~ie&-~~-~-Pi~e--~~ee 
QevelepmeB~-~~--aQep~iea-e~-~~V&~pme&~-p±aB-~~~~-~Re 
eeBe~FFeaee-e~ may be amended by an affirmative vote of all e~Re~ 
.the. participating units of local government as evidenced by a 
majority vote of the municipal officers or legislative body of 
each unit of local government. 
A-~~4c-ipat-i-nq--~ai~--o-t"--J:eeal 
~eve~BmeB~--may--~--~--~ae--aesi~Ba~ieB---&f--~--~~&e--~~ee 
QevelepmeB~-~-i~--~ae.--amendment--we~la An 
amendment may not 
resul t 
in the zone I s being out of compliance with any of the 
requirements in section 5247. 
Sec. 2. 35·A MRSA §3210.A is enacted to read: 
§3210-A. 
E1ectric uti1ity and conservation benefits 
1. 
Discount rates. 
Transmission and distribution utilities 
may offer discounted rates to qualified Pine Tree Deyelopment 
Zone businesses established under Title 30-A. 
If a transmission 
and distribution utility requires approval prior to offering any 
such rate. the transmission and distribution utility shall apply 
to the commission in accordance with applicable provisions of 
this Title, and the commission may approve the rate if it finds 
it to be in accord with applicable requirements of this Title, 
except that the commission may take into account the overall 
benefits to ratepayers resulting from state efforts to promote 
economic development within Pine Tree Deyelopment Zones. 
2. 
Line extensions. 
When approving or authorizing line 
extension 
terms 
and 
conditions 
for 
qualified 
Pine 
Tree 
Development Zone businesses established under Title 3D-A. 
the 
commission 
may 
take 
into 
account 
the 
overall 
benefits 
to 
ratepayers 
resulting 
from state efforts to 
promote 
economic 
development 
within 
Pine 
Tree 
Development 
Zones 
established 
pursuant to Title 30-A. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT A" to S.P. 624, L.D. 1692 
3. 
Conservation programs. 
In designing and implementing 
conservation programs pursuant to section 32l1-A, the commission 
may 
make 
available to gualified Pine 
Tree 
Development 
Zone 
businesses established under Title 
30-A special 
programs 
of 
enhanced 
value 
to 
aid 
state 
efforts 
to 
promote 
economic 
development within Pine Tree Development Zones. 
A program made 
available pursuant to this subsection must be cost-effective as 
defined by the commission by rule or order pursuant to section 
32ll-A. 
4. 
Electricity sales. 
Notwithstanding section 3210, 
the 
sale of electricity by a competitive electricity provider to a 
gualified Pine Tree Development Zone business established under 
Title 30 A is exempt from the reguirements of that section and, 
at the reguest of the competitive electricity provider, 
sales to 
gualified Pine Tree Development Zone businesses must be excluded 
from any calculation by the commission to determine compliance 
with that section. 
5. Repeal. 
This section is repealed December 31, 2009.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is the majority report of the Joint 
Standing Committee on Utilities and Energy, replaces the bill. 
The 
amendment 
changes 
the 
procedures 
relating 
to 
the 
designation and amendment of Pine Tree Development Zones and 
associated development plans by local units of government to 
provide that municipal officers may act on behalf of each local 
unit of government and that a 
local unit of government may 
arrange with a public or private organization to administer the 
local Pine Tree Development Zone activities and to act as the 
lead administrative entity. 
The 
amendment 
also 
adds 
provisions 
that 
authorize 
transmission and distribution utilities to offer discounted rates 
to qualified Pine Tree Development Zone businesses; authorize the 
Public Utilities Commission to take into account the overall 
benefits to ratepayers resulting from state efforts to promote 
economic 
development within Pine Tree Development 
Zones 
when 
approving discount rates, line extension terms and conditions or 
special conservation program benefits for qualified Pine Tree 
Development Zone businesses; and exempt sales of electricity to 
qualified Pine Tree Development 
Zone businesses 
from certain 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,~, to S.P. 624, L.D. 1692 
renewable portfolio requirements. 
These provisions are repealed 
on December 31, 2009. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 03111104 frac:.. 
Office of Fiscal and Program Review 
LD 1692 
An Act To Enhance Pine Tree Development Zones 
LR2622(02) 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'A' 
Committee: Utilities and Energy 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Additional costs to the Public Utilities Commission regarding utility rate reduction proceedings can be absorbed by 
the commission utilizing existing budgeted resources. 
LR2622(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1