An Act To Lower the Price of Electricity for Maine Consumers
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1863
Committee Amendment CA_A_S494 (Senate)
Amends: 35-A MRSA §3210-C

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A " to S.P. 648, L.D. 1863, Bill, "An Act To 
Lower the Price of Electricity for Maine Consumers" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 1 and 2. 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 4 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 4. 35-A MRSA §3210-C, sub-§3, ~C, as amended by PL 2011, c. 273, §1 
and affected by §3 and amended by c. 413, §2, is repealed and the following enacted in its 
place: 
C. 
Any available renewable energy credits associated with capacity resources 
contracted under paragraph A. The price paid by the investor-owned transmission 
and distribution utility for the renewable energy credits must be lower than the price 
received for those renewable energy credits at the time they are sold by the 
transmission and distribution utility.' 
Amend the bill in section 5 in subsection 4 in paragraph A in the 3rd line (page 3, line 
in L.D.) by striking out the following: "price" and inserting the following: 'cost' 
Amend the bill in section 6 in subsection 5 by striking out the last 2 blocked 
paragraphs (page 4, lines 6 to 13 in L.D.) 
Amend the bill by adding after section 6 the following: 
'Sec. 7. Commission request for proposals. The Public Utilities Commission 
shall, in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 32l0-C, request 
proposals for long-term contracts that will reduce the cost of electricity to ratepayers. 
The commission shall solicit proposals in a manner that does not exclude entities located 
outside this State or outside this country and, notwithstanding any requirements of Title 
35-A, section 32l0-C or any other provision of law, shall accept proposals that are 
contingent on modification of or accommodation under any otherwise applicable 
requirements of law. In its solicitation, the commission shall indicate that it will accept 
proposals that are contingent on modification of or accommodation under any otherwise 
applicable requirements of law. The commission shall examine the proposals and may 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
A rl ~~ 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 648, L.D. 1863 
direct a transmission and distribution utility to enter into a contract that does not require 
any modification of or accommodation under applicable laws. 
If the commission 
determines that an appropriate modification of or accommodation under any otherwise 
applicable requirement of law would result in a long-term contract that would be in the 
best interests of ratepayers and reduce the cost of electricity to ratepayers, the 
commission shall submit its recommendations for necessary changes to law to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy, utilities and 
technology matters by March 15,2013. The committee may report out a bill relating to 
the purposes of this section to the First Regular Session of the 126th Legislature.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, does the following: 
1. The amendment removes those sections of the bill that propose to remove the 
100-megawatt limit on certain renewable resources that qualify under the electricity 
portfolio requirements under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 3210; 
2. It retains the section of the bill that makes a technical correction to Title 35-A, 
section 321 O-C, subsection 2; 
3. It replaces the section of the bill that makes certain changes to the Public Utilities 
Commission's authority to enter into long-tenn contracts. It makes a technical change 
that resolves a conflict of laws but otherwise retains the substance of the current law; 
4. 
It retains the section of the bill that makes certain modifications to the law 
prioritizing capacity resources for long-term contracts, but it clarifies that, consistent with 
other provisions of that law, the commission shall select resources that are anticipated to 
lower the cost of electricity to ratepayers; 
5. It amends the portion of the bill imposing certain limits on long-term contracts: it 
retains the provision limiting contracts to no more than 25% of the total annual statewide 
electricity usage, but removes the other proposed limitations; and 
6. It adds a provision directing the Public Utilities Commission to request proposals 
for long-term contracts that will reduce the cost of electricity to ratepayers. 
The 
commission is directed to solicit proposals in a manner that does not exclude entities 
located outside this State or outside this country and, notwithstanding any requirements 
of Title 35-A, section 321O-C or any other provision of law, must accept proposals that 
are contingent on modification of or accommodation under any otherwise applicable 
requirements of law. In its solicitation, the commission must indicate that it will accept 
proposals that are contingent on modification of or accommodation under any otherwise 
applicable requirements of law. The commission must examine the proposals and may 
direct a transmission and distribution utility to enter into a contract that does not require 
any modification of or accommodation under applicable laws. 
If the commission 
determines that an appropriate modification of or accommodation under any otherwise 
applicable requirement of law would result in a long-term contract that would be in the 
best interests of ratepayers and reduce the cost of electricity to ratepayers, the 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 648, L.D. 1863 
commission must submit its recommendations for necessary changes to law to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy, utilities and 
technology matters by March 15, 2013. The committee is authorized to report out a bill 
relating to long-term contracts to the First Regular Session of the 126th Legislature. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 03/22112 
;t;?ac. 
LD 1863 
LR 2795(02) 
An Act To Lower the Price of Electricity for Maine Consumers 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment" A" S -1fCi+ 
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Any additional costs to the Public Utilities Commission related to the provisions of this bill can be absorbed within 
existing budgeted resources. 
LR2795(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1