An Act To Increase the Availability of Solar and Wind Power
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0220
Committee Amendment CA_A_S90 (Senate)
Amends: 35-A MRSA §3211-C

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A 
"to S.P. 70, L.D. 220, Bill, "An Act To Increase 
the Availability of Solar and Wind Power" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and 
inserting the following: 
'Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency are significant 
priorities of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of2009; and 
Whereas, significant funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 
2009 will be disbursed to the Public Utilities Commission in the immediate future for 
energy initiatives, including renewable energy initiatives such as the solar and wind 
energy rebate program; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. I. 35-A MRSA §3211-C, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2007, c. 661, Pt. D, §I, 
is further amended to read: 
6. Limitation to residents of State; repeal. PaJiicipation in the solar and wind 
energy rebate program and fund established in this section is limited to residents of the 
State. This section is repealed December 3 I, ;w.w 2015. 
Sec. 2. Solar and wind energy rebate program; federal stimulus funds; 
report. The Public Utilities Commission, to the extent allowed, shall apply federal funds 
received by the commission under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 
2009, Public Law 111-5, to increase funding for the solar and wind energy rebate 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.p. 70, L.D. 220 
program established in the Maine Revised Statutes, '(itle 35-A, section 3211-C by 
$500,000 per year for the 2-year period during which the federal funds are available. In 
the solar and wind energy rebate program annual report for December 1, 2010 required 
by Title 35-A, section 3211-C, subsection 5, the commission shall report the results of the 
funding expansion to the solar and wind energy rebate program made possible by the 
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of2009 and make recommendations regarding 
future funding of the solar and wind energy rebate program, including, but not limited to, 
funding level and sources of funds. 
Sec. 3. 
Solar and wind energy rebate program rules; performance 
standard; payback calculation. The Public Utilities Commission shall amend the 
rules governing the solar and wind energy rebate program adopted pursuant to the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 3211-C, subsection 4 to: 
1. Establish performance standards for solar and wind energy systems. The purpose 
of the standards must be to inform rebate program applicants about relevant performance 
criteria and the relative perfonnance of different solar and wind energy systems; and 
2. Require each applicant, as part of the application fonn, to complete a simple 
payback period calculation for the applicant's solar or wind energy system. For the 
purposes of this subsection, "simple payback period" is the estimated amount of time it 
will take to recover the initial investment through energy savings, determined by dividing 
the initial installed cost by the estimated annual energy cost savings. 
Sec. 4. 
Appropriations and allocations. The foIlowing appropriations and 
aIlocations are made. 
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION 
Solar Rebate Program Fund Z012 
Initiative: AIIocates funds to the solar and wind energy rebate program now continued 
beyond its original sunset date of December 31, 2010 until the new sunset of December 
31,2015. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
AIl Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
Solar Rebate Program Fund Z012 
2009-10 
$0 
$0 
2010-11 
$250,000 
$250,000 
Initiative: AIIocates American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds for 2 years 
to increase the funding for the solar and wind energy rebate program. 
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND ARRA 
All Other 
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND ARRA TOTAL 
2009-10 
$500,000 
$500,000 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2010-11 
$500,000 
$500,000 
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COMMITIEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.p. 70, L.D. 220 
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND ARRA 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
2009-10 
$0 
$500,000 
$500,000 
2010-11 
$250,000 
$500,000 
$750,000 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.' 
SUMMARY 
II 
IS 
This amendment replaces the bill. The amendment delays the sunset on the solar and 
wind energy rebate program from December I, 20 I 0 to December I, 2015. 
The 
amendment directs the Public Utilities Commission to use federal stimulus funds made 
available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to increase 
funding for the solar and wind energy rebate program by $500,000 per year for a 2-year 
period and to report the results of the funding expansion and recommendations regarding 
future funding of the program in the December I, 20 10 annual report of the solar and 
wind energy rebate program. The amendment also directs the commission to amend the 
rules governing the solar and wind energy rebate program to include performance 
standards as an educational tool for program applicants and to require applicants to 
complete a simple payback period calculation as part of the application form. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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Approved: 04/20109 frac:.. 
LD220 
LR 112(02) 
An Act To Increase the Availability of Solar and Wind Power 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ,A" 
Committee: Utilities and Energy 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Federal Expenditures Fund ARRA 
Revenue 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Federal Expenditures Fund ARRA 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
2009-10 
$0 
$500,000 
$0 
$500,000 
2010-11 
$250,000 
$500,000 
$250,000 
$500,000 
Projections 
2011-12 
$500,000 
$0 
$500,000 
$0 
Projections 
2012-13 
$500,000 
$0 
$500,000 
$0 
This bill directs the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to add $500,000 of federal funds allowable under the 
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to the Solar and Wind Energy Rebate Program in FY 2009-' 1 0 and 
FY 2010-11. The bill also extends the Solar and Wind Energy Rebate Program from its current suns~t date of 
December 31,2010 to December 31,2015 and provides allocations of $250,000 for half ofFY 2010-11 and $500,000 
annually thereafter to continue the program through December of 20 15. Additional costs to the PUC associated with 
producing a report, amending ruJes, modifying the rebate application and processing additional rebate applications can 
, be absorbed within existing resources. 
LROl12(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1 
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