An Act To Increase the Availability of Solar and Wind Power
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0220
Committee: Utilities and Energy
Sponsors: BARTLETT, BERRY, BOWMAN, GOODALL, HOBBINS, MILLS, MITCHELL, FLAHERTY, HINCK, PINGREE
Amends: 35-A MRSA §3211-C

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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STATE LA \Ilj LIBRARY 
AUGUSTA, MAINE 
124th MAl E LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 220 
January 27, 2009 
An Act To Increase the Availability of Solar and Wind Power 
Reference to the Committee on Utilities and Energy suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator BARTLETT of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative BERRY of Bowdoinham and 
9tg{J~ 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: BOWMAN of York, GOODALL of Sagadahoc, HOBBINS of York, MILLS of 
Somerset, President MITCHELL of Kennebec, Representatives: FLAHERTY of Scarborough, 
HINCK of Portland, Speaker PINGREE of North Haven. 
_Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3211-C, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2007, c. 661, Pt. 
D, § 1, is further amended to read: 
3. 
Funding level; fund. 
The commIssIon shall assess transmission and 
distribution utilities to collect funds for the solar and wind energy rebate program in 
accordance with this subsection. The amount of all assessments by the commission 
under this subsection must result in total program expenditures by each transmission 
and distribution utility that do not exceed ~ 
0.01 cent per kilowatt-hour. To the 
extent practicable, the commission shall establish and collect the assessment in a 
manner that is consistent with the assessment made under section 3211-A. 
The 
commission shall establish a solar and wind energy rebate program fund to be used 
solely for the purposes of this section. All assessments made under this subsection 
are deposited in the fund. Any interest on funds in the fund must be credited to the 
fund. 
Funds not spent in any fiscal year remain in the fund to be used for the 
purposes of this section. The commission shall determine the allotment of the fund 
in each fiscal year between solar photovoltaic system rebates, solar thermal system 
rebates and qualified wind energy system rebates, with a minimum of 20% of the 
fund provided to each of the 3 types of rebates. 
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §3211-C, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2007, c. 661, Pt. 
D, § 1, is further amended to read: 
6. Limitation to residents of State. Participation in the solar and wind energy 
rebate program and fund established in this section is limited to residents of the State. 
This section is resealed December 31.2010. 
SUMMARY 
This bill raises the upper limit of the assessments on transmission and distribution 
utilities for the solar and wind energy rebate program from 0.005 cent per kilowatt-
hour to 0.01 cent per kilowatt-hour. The bill also repeals the provision abolishing the 
program on December 31,2010. 
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