An Act To Transfer the Administration of the Renewable Resource Fund from the State Planning Office to the Public Utilities Commission
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0036
Committee: Utilities and Energy
Sponsors: BLISS, BARTLETT
Amends: 35-A MRSA §3210

Legislative Document 
No. 36 
H.P.37 
House of Representatives, January 4,2007 
An Act To Transfer the Administration of the Renewable Resource 
Fund from the State Planning Office to the Public Utilities 
Commission 
Submitted by the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Utilities and Energy suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative BLISS of South Portland. 
Cosponsored by Senator BARTLETT of Cumberland. 
Printed on recyded paper 
'7J'/~ frl.17!Q£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 35-A MRS A §3210, sub-§5, as amended by PL 1999, c. 372, §1 and PL 
2003, c. 20, Pt. 00, §2 and affected by §4, is further amended to read: 
5. Funding for research and development; community demonstration projects. 
The commission by rule shall establish and administer a program allowing retail 
consumers of electricity to make voluntary contributions to fund renewable resource 
research and development and to fund demonstration community projects using 
renewable energy technologies. The State Planning Offiee shall administer the program. 
The program must: 
A. 
Include a mechanism for customers to indicate their willingness to make 
contributions; 
B. 
Provide that transmission and distribution utilities collect and account for the 
contributions and forward them to the commission; 
C. 
Provide for a distribution of the funds to the University of Maine System, the 
Maine Maritime Academy or the Maine Community College System for renewable 
resource research and development; and 
D. 
Provide for a distribution of the funds to Maine-based nonprofit organizations 
that qualify under the federal Internal Revenue Code, Section 501(c)(3), consumer-
owned electric cooperatives, community-based nonprofit organizations 
and~ 
community action programs, municipalities and school administrative districts for 
demonstration community projects using renewable energy technologies. 
Rules adopted under this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter II-A 2-A. 
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §3210, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 372, §2, 1S 
amended to read: 
6. Fund. There is established the Renewable Resource Fund, referred to in this 
subsection as the "fund." 
The fund is a nonlapsing fund administered by the State 
Plan:ling Office commission. 
All funds collected by the commission pursuant to 
subsection 5 must be deposited in the fund for distribution by the State PlamHng Offiee 
commission in accordance with subsection 5. The State Planning Offiee commission 
may seek and accept funding for the program established pursuant to subsection 5 from 
other sources, public or private. Any funds accepted for use in the program established 
pursuant to subsection 5 must be deposited in the fund. 
SUMMARY 
This bill transfers administrative responsibilities from the Executive Department, 
State Planning Office to the Public Utilities Commission of the program established by 
the commission allowing retail electricity customers to make voluntary contributions to 
fund renewable resource research and development and to fund demonstration 
community projects using renewable energy technologies. It also expands the list of 
Page I - 123LR0760(Ol)-1 
entities that are eligible to participate in the demonstration community projects to include 
municipalities and school administrative districts.