An Act To Provide Grants to Public Educational and Municipal Entities for Feasibility Studies of Renewable Energy Projects
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1348
Committee: Utilities and Energy
Sponsors: ADAMS
Amends: 35-A MRSA §3211-D, 35-A MRSA §10008

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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124thMAINE EGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 1348 
H.P.949 
House of Representatives, March 31,2009 
An Act To Provide Grants to Public Educational and Municipal 
Entities for Feasibility Studies of Renewable Energy Projects 
Reference to the Committee on Utilities and Energy suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative ADAMS of Portland. 
Printed on recycled paper 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec.!. 35-A MRSA §3211-D is enacted to read: 
§3211-D. Renewable energy projects; feasibility studies 
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
A. "Public property" means land, structures, facilities and other real property under 
the ownership or control of a public educational or municipal entity. 
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B. "Public educational and municipal entities" includes the University of Maine 
System, the Maine Maritime Academy, the Maine Community College System, 
municipalities, quasi-municipal comorations or districts, as defmed in Title 30-A. 
section 2351 and school administrative units as defined in Title 20-A, section 1. 
C. "Renewable energy project" means the installation and operation of an energy-
generating facility that produces energy from a renewable resource. 
D. "Renewable resource" has the same meaning as in section 3210, subsection 2, 
paragraph C. 
2. 
Grant program. The comnusslOn shall by rule establish and administer a 
program to provide grants to public educational and municipal entities to conduct 
feasibility studies for renewable energy projects to be developed on public property. 
Feasibility studies funded by the program must evaluate the costs and benefits of 
proposed renewable energy projects, including, but not limited to, the expected energy 
generation output and the potential to mitigate energy costs over the life of the project. 
Feasibility studies may include technical and engineering analysis and site visits to 
evaluate the capacity for generation output based on site-specific factors and system 
design. 
3. Funding. The commission may apply to the Energy and Carbon Savings Trust 
established in section 10008, subsection 2 for funding for the grant program established 
in subsection 2. 
4. Rules. The commission shall adopt rules to administer the program. Rules adopted 
pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §10008, sub-§6, ~ 
is enacted to read: 
M. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the commission may apply 
to the trust for funding from the trust fund to provide grants for feasibility studies of 
renewable energy projects pursuant to section 3211-D and, upon application of the 
commission, the trust may provide funding for that purpose. 
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SUMMARY 
This bill requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish and administer a 
program to provide grants to public educational and municipal entities to conduct 
feasibility studies for the installation and operation of renewable energy projects on 
public property. The bill authorizes the commission to apply for funding from the Energy 
and Carbon Savings Trust Fund to fund the grant program.