An Act Regarding Maine's Energy Future . Fiscal Note for Original Bill Committee: Joint Select Committee on Maine's Energy Future
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1485

LD ''+~5 
LR 1989(01) 
An Act Regarding Maine's Energy Future 
. Fiscal Note for Original Bill 
Committee: Joint Select Committee on Maine's Energy Future 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Legislative Cost/Study 
Projections 
2009-10 
2010-11 
2011-12 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General· Fund 
$0 
$0 
$3,000,000 
Appropriatiollsl Allocations 
Federal Expenditures Fund 
$0 
$0 
$0 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$900,000 
$892,000 
$3,892,000 
Federal Expenditures Fund ARRA 
$0 
$0 
$0 
Federal Block Grant Fund ARRA 
$0 
$0 
$0 
Revenue 
Oeneral Fund 
$0 
$0 
($3,000,000) 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$0 
$891,000 
$3,891,000 
Transfers 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$0 
$0 
$0 
Federal Expenditures Fund ARRA 
$0 
$0 
$0 
LR1989(0 1) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of3 
Projections 
2012-13 
$3,000,0~(1 
·,1 
$0 
$3,892,000 
$0 
$0 
($3,000,000) 
$3,891,000 
$0 
$0 
LD'L\-~5 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This bill establishes the Efficiency Maine Trust (EMT) for the purposes of developing, planning, coordinating and 
i~plementing energy efficiency and alternative energy resource programs in the State. The EMT will assume 
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Jponsibility for the following programs currently under the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) as of July 1,201.0:' 
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the Energy Carbon Savings Trust Fund, the Conservation Program Fund, the Conservation Administration Fund, the 
Solar and Wind Energy Rebate Program Fund, the Energy Conservation Small Business Revolving Loan Fund, all of 
the PUC monies received for programs under the American Recoveryand Reinvestment Act of2009 (ARRA). Any 
funds under the Maine Conservation Energy Board, which is repealed as of July 1, 2010, are also transferred to the 
EMT.. 
Additional funds managed by EMT will be the Natural Gas Conservation Fund (NGCF) and the Heating Fuels 
Efficiency and Weatherization Fund (HFEW). The NGCF is created as a non lapsing fund established to promote the 
efficient use of natural gas. An assessmen,t of no less than 3% of natural gas utilities' delivery revenues will be applied 
on each gas utility that serves at least 5,000 residential customers. ',The revenue expected from this assessment is 
$891,000 annualiy. The HFEW is created as a rl0nlapsing fund established to reduce heating fuel consumption 
consistent with the purpose of the EMT arid the triennial plan to be developed. The funding sO,urce for HFEW is ' 
expected to be federal funds, awards or proceeds from any bonds, repayment' of loans and any other private or public 
source available. A base allocation of $500 has been provided to authorize the expenditure of any funds received. 
This bill establishes an Oversight and Evaluation Fund program at the Public Utilities Commission to be used solely to 
defray the commission's projected costs of overseein~ the trust. An amount not to exceed 1 % of the total funds 
administered by the EMT trust may be used for the oversight and evaluation fund. A base allocation of $500 is 
included for the commission in the event that an assessment is implemented and expenditures incurred in iiscal year 
2010-i 1. 
).f-trl1e PUC Conservation Administration Fund is transferred to the EMT, including 2 Federal Expenditures Ft:nd 
, !sitions, 9 Other Special Revenue Funds positions and 6 limited-period positions funded by the American Recovery 
and Reinvestment Act of2009 for a total of 17 positions and associated costs. The bill includes deallocations and 
allocations to accomplish these transfers. 
Additionally" a $700,000 allocation is provided in 2009-10 to the EMT's administrative fund to cover costs associated 
with the initial year of the Trust. A corresponding deallocation and transfer from the PUC Reimbursement account 
provides the $700,000. 
This bill includes a $200,000 Other Special Revenue Funds allocation to the Legislature for the Commission to Study 
Energy Infrastructure. A transfer from the Public Utilities Commission Reimbursement accol!nt provides the funding 
for the study. 
All transfers to the Efficiency Maine Trust must be made as of July 1, 2010. After July 1, 2010, fees collected under " 
Title 35~A, chapter 97 must be transferred to the Efficiency Maine Trust on a monthly basis. Any additional increases 
or allocations necessary to the Efficiency Maine Trust will be made by financial order. 
This bill establishes the Maine Energy, Housing and Economic Recovery Program within the Maine State Housing 
Authority (MSHA) to support the construction and substantial rehabilitation of eligible rental housing units as well as 
the replacement of certain manufactured housing units. This bill creates the Maine Energy, Housing and Economic 
Recovery Fund as a dedicated Other Special Revenue Funds account within MSHA for funds received to support the 
purposes of the program including funds transferred by the Treasurer from the General Fund portion of the Real Estate 
Transfer Tax. 
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LR1989(01) - Fiscal Note - Page 2 on 
LDILJ-8'5 
This legislation authorizes MSHA to issue revenue bonds to carry out the purposes of the program beginning in fiscal 
year20 1 0..:1 I and limits the aggregate principal amount outstanding at anyone time from these revenue. bonds to 
$200,000,000"excluding refunding bonds. This legislation also authorizes the use of the General Fund portion of the 
Real Estate Transfer Tax to pay for the Maine State Housing Authority's obligations relating to the bonds issued " 
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planned to be issued for the purposes of the program beginning In fiscal year 2011-12. This fiscal note assumes that ( 
MSHA will issue $30,000,000 per year in revenue bonds and that the amount of funds to be paid to MSHA from the 
General Fund share of the Real Estate Transfer Tax for the costs of the bonds issued will be $3,000,000 per year 
beginning in fiscal year 2011-12. The actual amount of funds to be transferred annually by the Treasurerto MSHA ' 
can not be determined at this time and will depend on the actual amount certified by MSHA to be necessary and 
sufficient to pay for the costs of the program. 
The Center for Workforce Research and Information within the Department of Labor has indicated that it will incur 
additional costs of approximately $18,000 to $25,000 per year to determine the number,ofnew jobs created by this 
legislation. Because this bill is silent as to who will be responsible for making that determination, this fiscal note does 
not provide General Fund appropriations to the Center' for these costs. Instead, this fiscal note assumes that the Trust 
will contract for those services and will provide the necessary funding for the project. Additional costs to the 
Department of Labor to work with the Public Utilities Commission and the Maine State Housing Authority to perform 
the required as~essment and develop the required plan can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
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Additional costs to the Governor's Office of Energy Independence and Security, the Finance Authority of Maine, the 
University of Maine System, the Plumber's Examining Board and the Electrician's Examining Board within the 
Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, the Department of Education, the Department of Environmental 
Protection, the Public Utilities Commission and the State Planning Office can be absorbed within existing budgeted 
resources. 
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LR 1989(0 I) - Fiscal Note - Page 3 of 3