An Act To
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0755
Committee Amendment CA_A_H424 (House)
Amends: 35-A MRSA §3132, 35-A MRSA §3132-A

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 535, L.D. 755, Bill, "An Act To 
Amend the Law Regarding Nontransmission Alternatives Investigations Required for 
Proposed Transmission Line Projects" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Amend the Law Regarding Nontransmission Alternatives Investigations 
Required for Proposed Transmission Lines and Projects' 
Amend the bill by inserting after the enacting clause and before section 1 the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3132, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2009, c. 309, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
2. Construction of transmission line. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 
3-A, whenever any person proposes to erect within this State a transmission line capable 
of operating at 69 kilovolts or more, that person shall file a petition for the approval of the 
proposed line in accordance with subsection 2-C. The petition for approval must be set 
down for public hearing. The commission shall issue its order within 6 2. months after the 
petition is filed unless this period is extended either by agreement of all the parties or by 
the commission upon its detennination that the party seeking the extension would, 
because of circumstances beyond that party's control, be unreasonably disadvantaged 
unless the extension were granted, as long as the party to that time had prosecuted its case 
in good faith and with due diligence. 
At the time of filing of a petition for approval of a proposed line under this section, the 
person filing the petition shall send a copy of the petition by certified mail to the 
municipal officers of the municipality or municipalities in which the line is to be located.' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 3 the following: 
'Sec. 4. 35-A MRSA §3132-A, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 369, Pt. C, §8, 
is amended to read: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT «A" to H.P. 535, L.D. 755 
R QF S 
1. Submission requirement. A person that proposes to undertake in the State a 
transmission project must provide the commission with the following information: .!! 
description of the need for the proposed transmission project. 
A. 
Results of an iw;:estigation by an independent 3rd party, whioh may be tho 
oommission or a oontraotor seleoted by the oommission, of nontransmission 
alternatives to oonstrnotion of the proposed transmission projeot. The investigation 
ml:lst set forth the total projeoted oosts of tho transmission projeot as well as the total 
projeoted oosts of tho nontransmissiofl altematives over the effeotive life of the 
proposed transmission projeot; and 
B. f~ desoription of the Reed for the proposed traRsmission proj eot. 
Sec. 5. 35-A MRSA §3132-A, sub-§1-A is enacted to read: 
1-A. 
Nontransmission alternatives investigation. 
In considering whether to 
approve or disapprove all or portions of a proposed transmission project pursuant to 
subsection 2, the commission shall consider the results of an investigation by an 
independent 3rd party, which may be the commission or a contractor selected by the 
commission, of nontransmission alternatives to constrnction of the proposed transmission 
project. The investigation must set forth the total projected costs of the transmission 
project as well as the total projected costs of the alternatives over the effective life of the 
proposed transmission project. 
Sec. 6. 
Nontransmission alternatives coordinator proceeding. 
By 
December 15, 2017, the Public Utilities Commission shall issue an order in the 
adjudicatory proceeding regarding the investigation into the designation of a 
nontransmission alternatives coordinator, Docket No. 2016-00049, and report the 
outcome of that proceeding to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and 
Technology by January 1, 2018.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment does the following: 
1. It extends from 6 months to 9 months the time the Public Utilities Commission has 
to issue an order for a petition for the approval of a proposed line; 
2. It changes the timing of a nontransmission alternatives investigation required for 
proposed transmission projects by requiring the investigation be completed during the 
course of the proceeding to consider the petition for an approval of a proposed 
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transmission project instead of being done prior to filing that petition; and 
3. It requires the Public Utilities Commission to issue an order in an adjudicatory 
proceeding regarding the investigation into the designation of a nontransmission 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
R OF S 
COMMITIEE AMENDMENT·~ "to H.P. 535, L.D. 755 
alternatives coordinator and submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, 
Utilities and Technology by January 1, 2018 on the outcome of that proceeding. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/02/17 feac. 
LD755 
LR 654(02) 
An Act To Amend the Law Regarding Nontransmission Alternatives Investigations Required for 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Proposed Transmission Line Projects 
, t\ 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "/}' (.H4J.<_0 
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 C01mnission as a result of changes to the laws regarding the approval 
process for transmission lines and transmission projects are anticipated to be minor and can be absorbed within 
existing budgeted resources. 
LR0654(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1