An Act To Update the Laws Governing Energy Efficiency Building Performance Standards
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0175
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: CLEVELAND, HOBBINS
Amends: 10 MRSA §1412, 10 MRSA §1413, 10 MRSA §1414-A, 10 MRSA §1415-E, 10 MRSA §1415-G, 10 MRSA §1415-I, 10 MRSA §9721

Legislative Document 
No. 175 
S.P. 64 
In Senate, January 31, 2013 
An Act To Update the Laws Governing Energy Efficiency Building 
Performance Standards 
Submitted by the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
suggested and ordered printed. 
DAREK M. GRANT 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator CLEVELAND of Androscoggin. 
Cosponsored by Representative HOBBINS of Saco. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  10 MRSA §1412, as amended by PL 1985, c. 370, §1, is repealed. 
Sec. 2.  10 MRSA §1413, sub-§1-A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 151, §2, is 
repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
1-A.  ASHRAE standards.  "ASHRAE standards"  means ASHRAE Standard 62.1-
2007, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2007, 
Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings, and 
ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise 
Residential Buildings, and the subsequent standards for building ventilation and energy 
conservation adopted by ASHRAE. 
Sec. 3.  10 MRSA §1413, sub-§1-B, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 151, §2, is 
repealed. 
Sec. 4.  10 MRSA §1413, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 503, §2, is repealed. 
Sec. 5.  10 MRSA §1413, sub-§9-A, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 818, §1, is 
repealed. 
Sec. 6.  10 MRSA §1413, sub-§12, as amended by PL 2005, c. 350, §3, is 
repealed. 
Sec. 7.  10 MRSA §1413, sub-§14, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 503, §2, is repealed. 
Sec. 8.  10 MRSA §1413, sub-§16, as amended by PL 2005, c. 350, §4, is 
repealed. 
Sec. 9.  10 MRSA §1414-A, as amended by PL 2005, c. 350, §5, is repealed. 
Sec. 10.  10 MRSA §1415-E, as amended by PL 2005, c. 350, §10, is repealed. 
Sec. 11.  10 MRSA §1415-G, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2005, c. 350, §11, is 
further amended to read: 
4.  Performance-based compliance.  The commission may waive the requirements 
of subsection 3 for any building if the commission determines that the building's 
calculated annual energy consumption is not greater than the annual energy consumption 
of a similar building constructed in accordance with subsection 3. 
The commission may adopt rules that establish a performance-based compliance 
procedure for residential buildings.  Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine 
technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 12.  10 MRSA §1415-I, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 350, §13, is repealed. 
Sec. 13.  10 MRSA §9721, sub-§1-A, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 261, Pt. A, §5, is 
amended to read: 
1-A.  Building code.  "Building code" means any part or portion of any edition of a 
code that regulates the construction of a building, including codes published by the 
International Code Council or Building Officials and Code Administrators International, 
Inc., or the Maine Model Building Code or the International Existing Building Code 
adopted pursuant to Title 10, section 9702, but does not include the fire and life safety 
codes in Title 25, section 2452. 
Sec. 14.  Repeal rules.  The Public Utilities Commission shall repeal rules that 
established the standards that comprised the Maine Model Building Energy Code. 
SUMMARY 
This bill changes the definition of ASHRAE standards and repeals definitions dealing 
with the energy efficiency building performance standards to reflect the changes made by 
the enactment of the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code. 
The bill also directs the Public Utilities Commission to repeal rules that established 
the standards that comprised the Maine Model Building Energy Code.