An Act To Assist Electric Utility Ratepayers
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1825
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Sponsors: CLEVELAND
Amends: 35-A MRSA §3214

Legislative Document 
No. 1825 
S.P. 731 
In Senate, March 18, 2014 
An Act To Assist Electric Utility Ratepayers 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Reference to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered 
printed. 
DAREK M. GRANT 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator CLEVELAND of Androscoggin. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  35-A MRSA §3214, sub-§2-A is enacted to read: 
2-A.  Arrearage management program.  A transmission and distribution utility 
shall implement pursuant to this subsection an arrearage management program to assist 
eligible low-income residential customers who are in arrears on their electricity bills.  An 
arrearage management program implemented pursuant to this subsection is a plan under 
which a transmission and distribution utility works with an eligible low-income 
residential customer to establish an affordable payment plan and provide credit to that 
customer toward the customer's accumulated arrears as long as that customer remains in 
compliance with the terms of the program.  The commission shall establish the terms and 
conditions of the arrearage management programs by rule.  Rules adopted pursuant to this 
subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
In adopting rules regarding arrearage management programs, the commission shall: 
A.  Consider best practices as developed and implemented in other states or regions; 
B.  Include measures to assist program participants in reducing their electricity 
consumption, including an electricity usage assessment at no cost to the participant; 
C.  Require transmission and distribution utilities to work with the Efficiency Maine 
Trust to establish a complementary energy efficiency program for participants in 
arrearage management programs to help reduce participants' electricity consumption; 
and 
D.  Ensure that a transmission and distribution utility recovers in rates all costs of 
arrearage management programs, including incremental costs, reconnection fees and 
administrative and marketing costs but not including the amount of any arrearage 
forgiven that is treated as bad debt for purposes of cost recovery by the transmission 
and distribution utility. 
No later than February 28, 2018, the commission shall prepare a report assessing the 
effectiveness of arrearage management programs under this subsection, including the 
number of participants enrolled in the programs, the number of participants completing 
the programs, the number of participants who have failed to complete the programs, the 
dollar amount of arrears forgiven, a comparison of outcomes for those participating in the 
programs and those not participating, the impact on a transmission and distribution 
utility's bad debt as a result of the programs, the costs and benefits to all ratepayers 
associated with the programs and recommendations for ways in which the programs 
might be improved or continued for the benefit of all ratepayers.  In preparing its report, 
the commission shall hold at least one formal stakeholder meeting involving affected 
parties, including the Office of the Public Advocate and the participating transmission 
and distribution utilities.  Parties must also be provided an opportunity to submit written 
comments to the commission regarding the performance of the programs. 
This subsection is repealed September 30, 2018. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires transmission and distribution utilities to implement arrearage 
management programs to assist eligible low-income residential customers who are in 
arrears on their electricity bills.  The Public Utilities Commission must develop the 
program through rulemaking.  The program must include measures to help participants 
reduce their energy consumption, including a free electricity usage assessment and the 
requirement that transmission and distribution utilities work with the Efficiency Maine 
Trust to provide complementary energy efficiency programs for program participants.  
The bill requires that a transmission and distribution utility recover in rates all costs of the 
program except those arrearages that are forgiven and written off as bad debt.