An Act To Address Rising Electric Transmission Rates
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1060
Committee Amendment CA_B_H647 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "6,, to H.P. 753, L.D. 1060, Bill, "An Act To 
Address Rising Electric Transmission Rates" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, Directing the Public Utilities Commission To Conduct a Study To Identify 
Alternatives to Electric Distribution System Upgrades' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and 
inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. Report. Resolved: That the Public Utilities Commission, referred to in 
this section as "the commission," in consultation with the State's investor-owned 
transmission and distribution utilities, the Efficiency Maine Trust and others shall submit 
a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy 
and utilities matters by January 7,2015. The purpose of the report is to identity areas of 
stress or areas with reliability deficiencies in the transmission and distribution system, 
including all transmission, subtransmission and distribution system upgrades and 
investments subject to state jurisdiction, as early as possible in order to allow sufficient 
time to plan and implement more cost-effective alternatives to building or upgrading 
distribution lines to meet reliability needs. In the report, the commission shall: 
1. 
Identity, using a 10-year projection, existing and potential areas of stress or 
reliability deficiencies of the State's investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities' 
transmission and distribution systems by location within this State and display those areas 
on one or more maps; 
2. Prioritize the areas of stress or reliability deficiencies identified in subsection 1 
based on estimates of the times and circumstances under which these areas would require 
transmission, subtransmission or distribution system build-out or upgrades in absence of 
further action; 
3. Describe the likely manner of resolving the deficiencies in areas prioritized in 
subsection 2 through transmission, subtransmission or distribution system build-out or 
upgrades, including the likely costs; 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,,6 .. to H.P. 753, L.D. 1060 
4. 
Describe under which circumstances distributed generation, demand response, 
energy efficiency or other nondistribution strategies or nontransmission strategies might 
address the deficiencies at a lower cost than the costs identified in subsection 3; 
5. Recommend an appropriate year for the existing and potential areas of stress or 
reliability deficiencies in this State to be reevaluated; and 
6. 
Provide any other information or recommendations the commission considers 
relevant to policy decisions related to using distributed generation, demand response, 
energy efficiency or other nondistribution alternatives or nontransmission strategies to 
address potential areas of stress or 
reliability deficiencies 
in 
transmission, 
subtransmission or distribution systems in this State. 
The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy and 
utilities matters may report out a bill related to the subject matter of the report to the First 
Regular Session of the 127th Legislature.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the minority report of the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, 
Utilities and Technology. This amendment strikes and replaces the bill. This amendment 
directs the Public Utilities Commission in consultation with the State's investor-owned 
transmission and distribution utilities, the Efficiency Maine Trust and others to submit a 
report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy 
and utilities matters by January 7,2015. The purpose of the report is to identify areas of 
stress or reliability deficiencies in the transmission and distribution system as early as 
possible in order to allow sufficient time to plan and implement more cost-effective 
alternatives to building or upgrading distribution lines to meet reliability needs. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 02118114 .Mac 
LD 1060 
LR 1120(03) 
An Act To Address Rising Electric Transmission Rates 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 13· (+i-&47) 
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
The PUC, in consultation with Efficiency Maine Trust and others, must submit a report to the Legislature on the needs 
of the transmission and distribution system. Any additional costs to the Public Utilities Commission and Efficiency 
Maine Trust are expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LRl120(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1