An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Weatherize and Upgrade the Energy Efficiency of Maine Homes and Businesses and To Provide for a Trained Workforce for Maine's Energy Future
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0919
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: HINCK

Legislative Document 
No. 919 
H.P. 679 
House of Representatives, March 8, 2011 
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Weatherize 
and Upgrade the Energy Efficiency of Maine Homes and Businesses 
and To Provide for a Trained Workforce for Maine's Energy Future 
Reference to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative HINCK of Portland. 
Preamble.  Two thirds of both Houses of the Legislature deeming it necessary in 
accordance with the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 14 to authorize the 
issuance of bonds on behalf of the State of Maine to provide funds as described in this 
Act, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  Authorization of bonds.  The Treasurer of State is authorized, under the 
direction of the Governor, to issue bonds in the name and on behalf of the State in an 
amount not exceeding $55,000,000 for the purposes described in section 5 of this Act.  
The bonds are a pledge of the full faith and credit of the State.  The bonds may not run for 
a period longer than 10 years from the date of the original issue of the bonds. 
Sec. 2.  Records of bonds issued; Treasurer of State. The Treasurer of State 
shall ensure that an account of each bond is kept showing the number of the bond, the 
name of the successful bidder to whom sold, the amount received for the bond, the date of 
sale and the date when payable. 
Sec. 3.  Sale; how negotiated; proceeds appropriated.  The Treasurer of State 
may negotiate the sale of the bonds by direction of the Governor, but no bond may be 
loaned, pledged or hypothecated on behalf of the State.  The proceeds of the sale of the 
bonds, which must be held by the Treasurer of State and paid by the Treasurer of State 
upon warrants drawn by the State Controller, are appropriated solely for the purposes set 
forth in this Act.  Any unencumbered balances remaining at the completion of the project 
in this Act lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of 
general obligation bonds. 
Sec. 4.  Interest and debt retirement.  The Treasurer of State shall pay interest 
due or accruing on any bonds issued under this Act and all sums coming due for payment 
of bonds at maturity. 
Sec. 5.  Disbursement of bond proceeds; allocations from General Fund 
bond issue.  The proceeds of the sale of the bonds authorized under this Act must be 
expended as designated in the following schedule under the direction and supervision of 
the agencies and entities set forth in this section. 
Provides funds to implement existing plans for weatherizing low-income Maine 
housing. 
MAINE STATE HOUSING 
AUTHORITY 
Total 
$15,000,000
Provides funds to a grant or loan program to increase electrical and thermal energy 
efficiencies in the public and private sectors including industry, businesses, hospitals, 
jails, schools and other large power consumers to minimum efficiency gains of 20% 
through upgrades in waste heat recovery, district heating, cogeneration, installation of 
variable speed drives and demand control ventilation systems. 
Provides funds to create a revolving weatherization fund to be made available as 
below-market loans through local financial institutions, agencies, community 
development corporations and counties or municipalities for homeowners, owners of 
rental properties and small business owners for required energy audits and 
weatherization or other major energy efficiency improvements. 
Provides funds for appropriate entities to conduct labor market research on the 
current market and projected job growth in the green economy, emerging green 
industries and technologies, recruitment and skill requirements and wage and benefits 
ranges and the education and training requirements of workers in those industries; 
funds to train workers for weatherization services and for the distribution of grants on 
a competitive basis for basic and remedial education and transitional jobs strategies 
for dislocated workers; and funds for the training of new workers for occupations in 
high-demand green industries, based on current and projected job creation and the 
workers' strategic importance to the development of the State's future economy. 
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION 
Efficiency Maine Trust  
Total 
$15,000,000
Efficiency Maine Trust 
Total 
$10,000,000
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF 
Total 
$10,000,000
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY 
DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF 
Provides community development funds for energy efficiency for a combination of 
low-interest and no-interest loans and grants for weatherization and other energy 
efficiency projects for homes, businesses and community meeting places, such as 
grange halls, community houses and other traditional public areas for gathering in a 
community. 
Sec. 6.  Contingent upon ratification of bond issue.  Sections 1 to 5 do not 
become effective unless the people of the State ratify the issuance of the bonds as set 
forth in this Act. 
Sec. 7.  Appropriation balances at year-end.  At the end of each fiscal year, all 
unencumbered appropriation balances representing state money carry forward.  Bond 
proceeds that have not been expended within 10 years after the date of the sale of the 
bonds lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of general 
obligation bonds. 
Sec. 8.  Bonds authorized but not issued.  Any bonds authorized but not issued 
within 5 years of ratification of this Act are deauthorized and may not be issued, except 
that the Legislature may, within 2 years after the expiration of that 5-year period, extend 
the period for issuing any remaining unissued bonds for an additional amount of time not 
to exceed 5 years. 
Sec. 9.  Referendum for ratification; submission at election; form of 
question; effective date.  This Act must be submitted to the legal voters of the State at 
a statewide election held in the month of November following passage of this Act.  The 
municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns 
and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election, 
to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the following question: 
"Do you favor a $55,000,000 bond issue to implement existing plans for 
weatherization of low-income housing, to provide funds for increasing 
energy efficiencies in public and private sector structures and to provide 
funds for education for the training of a future workforce?" 
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question 
and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square 
below the word "Yes" or "No."  The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and 
declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of 
State in the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature.  The Governor shall 
review the returns.  If a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Act, the 
Governor shall proclaim the result without delay and this Act becomes effective 30 days 
after the date of the proclamation. 
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all 
ballots, returns and copies of this Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
referendum. 
Total 
$5,000,000
SUMMARY 
The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $55,000,000, will be used to 
support weatherization and other energy efficiency improvements for Maine homes, 
businesses and public buildings to save money, reduce dependence on increasingly scarce 
heating fuels, support health and comfort and protect the environment.  Funds are also 
provided to expand the workforce for weatherization and energy efficiency services and 
other parts of a new green economy.