An Act To Support Solar Energy Development in Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1652
Committee Amendment CA_A_S473 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A " to S.P. 644, L.D. 1652, Bill, "An Act To 
Support Solar Energy Development in Maine" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA c. 34-B is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 34-B 
THE MAINE SOLAR ENERGY ACT 
§3471. Short title 
This chapter may be known and cited as "the Maine Solar Energy Act. " 
§3472. Legislative findings 
1. Public interest. The Legislature finds that it is in the public interest to develop 
renewable energy resources, including solar energy, in a manner that protects and 
improves the health and well-being of the citizens and natural environment of the State 
while also providing economic benefits to communities, ratepayers and the overall 
economy of the State. 
2. Contribution of solar energy development. The Legislature finds that the solar 
energy resources of the State constitute a valuable indigenous and renewable energy 
resource and that solar energy development, which is unique in its benefits to and impacts 
on the climate and the natural environment, can make a contribution to the general 
welfare of the citizens of the State for the following reasons: 
A. Solar energy is an energy resource that does not rely on fossil fuel combustion 
and therefore it can displace energy provided by that source and reduce air pollution 
and greenhouse gas emissions; and 
B. There is an inexha~stible supply of solar energy throughout the State that should 
be used cost-effectively for heat and electricity using CUlTent technology. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 644, L.D. 1652 
§3473. Specific measures to support solar energy 
1. 
Monitoring. 
The commission shall monitor, to the extent possible through 
readily available infonnation, the level of solar energy development in the State in 
relation to the goals in section 3474, basic trends in solar energy markets and the likely 
relative costs and benefits for ratepayers from solar energy development, including but 
not limited to minimizing peak load on transmission and distribution systems and the 
energy market price of electricity and natural gas during the peak hours. 
2. 
Economic development. Within existing programs and resources, the State, 
including the Small Enterprise Growth Program, as established in Title 10, chapter 13; 
the Maine Technology Institute, as established in Title 5, section l2004-G, subsection 
33-D; the Maine Rural Development Authority, as established in Title 5, section l2004-F, 
subsection 18; the Finance Authority of Maine, as established in Title 10, chapter 110; 
and the Department of Economic and Community Development, shall seek opportunities 
to promote investment in solar energy development, generation and manufacturing. 
§3474. Determination of public policy; state solar energy generation goals 
1. Encouragement of solar energy-related development. It is the policy of the 
State in furtherance of the goals established in subsection 2 to encourage the attraction of 
appropriately sited development related to solar energy generation, including any 
additional transmission, distribution and other energy infrastructure needed to transport 
additional solar energy to market, consistent with all state environmental standards: the 
pennitting and financing of solar energy projects; appropriate utility rate structures; and 
the siting, pennitting, financing and construction of solar energy research and 
manufacturing facilities for the benefit of all ratepayers. 
2. State solar energy generation goals. When encouraging the development of 
solar energy generation, the State shall pursue cost-effective developments, policies and 
programs that advance the following goals: 
A. Ensuring that solar electricity generation, along with electricity generation from 
other renewable energy technologies, meaningfully contributes to the generation 
capacity of the State through increasing private investment in solar capacity in the 
State; 
B. 
Ensuring that the production of thennal energy from solar technologies 
meaningfully contributes to reducing the State's dependence on imported energy 
sources; 
C. 
Ensuring that the production of electricity from solar energy meaningfully 
contributes to mitigating more costly transmission and distribution investments 
otherwise needed for system reliability; 
D. Ensuring that solar energy provides energy that benefits all ratepayers regardless 
of income level; 
E. Increasing the number of businesses and residences using solar technology as an 
energy resource; and 
F. Increasing the State's workforce engaged in the manufacturing and installation of 
solar technology. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 644, L.D. 1652 
Sec. 2. Determination of the value of distributed solar energy generation. 
1. Value of distributed solar energy generation. The Public Utilities Conm1ission 
shall determine the value of distributed solar energy generation in the State. 
The 
commission shall develop a method for valuing distributed solar energy generation. The 
method developed by the commission must, at a minimum, account for the value of the 
energy; market price effects for energy production; the value of its delivery, generation 
capacity, transmission capacity and transmission and distribution line losses; and the 
societal value of the reduced environmental impacts of the energy. The commission may, 
based on known and measurable evidence of the cost or benefit of solar operation to 
utility ratepayers, incorporate other values into the method, including credit for systems 
installed at high-value locations on the electric grid, or other factors. The report required 
by subsection 4 must clearly identify the value of each of the individual components 
described in this subsection that comprise the value of solar energy generation as 
determined by the commission. For purposes of the report, the commission may rely on 
readily available data. 
2. Method. In developing a method for valuing distributed solar energy generation 
pursuant to this section, the Public Utilities Commission shall consider published 
guidance from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council and any other published 
materials regarding methods for consistently evaluating the value of distributed solar 
energy generation. Prior to conducting its analysis of the value of solar energy generation, 
the commission shall make public its proposed methodology and underlying assumptions 
and the rationale for proposing them and provide for an opportunity for public comment 
on them. 
3. Solar implementation options. The report required by subsection 4 must include 
a summary of options for increasing investment in or deployment of distributed solar 
energy generation that are used in other states or utility jurisdictions. The summary may 
include policy options or business models along with any existing information regarding 
costs, benefits and results of those approaches. The commission may provide an analysis 
of which options, approaches or models may be appropriate for this State considering this 
State's utility market sttuctures. 
4. Report. By Febtuary 15, 2015, the Public Utilities Commission shall submit to 
the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy matters a 
report on the determination of the value of distributed solar energy generation in the 
State. The commission is not required to follow an adjudicatory proceeding pursuant to 
the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 4 in developing its 
methodology or preparing the report.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment modifies the legislative findings and goals of the bill. This 
amendment adds more specificity to the required components of the study conducted by 
the Public Utilities Commission regarding the value of distributed solar energy generation 
and adds a summary of solar implementation options as part of the study. This 
amendment moves the study report date from January 15,2015 to Febtuary 15,2015. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUJRED 
(See Attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 03/27/14 
~ac. 
LD 1652 
LR 2618(02) 
An Act To Support Solar Energy Development in Maine 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment '~' ( s- L/''13,) 
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Additional costs to the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Finance Authority of Maine and 
the Maine Rural Development Authority to seek opportunities to promote solar energy development, generation and 
manufacturing can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
Additional costs to the Public Utilities Commission to monitor the level of solar energy development, assess trends in 
solar energy markets and the costs and benefits for ratepayers from solar energy development and to prepare and 
submit a report to the Legislature on the determination of the value of distributed solar energy generation are expected 
to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR2618(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1