An Act To Ensure Fairness among Large Consumers of Natural Gas
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0822
Committee Amendment CA_A_S400 (Senate)
Amends: 35-A MRSA §10111

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 267, L.D. 822, Bill, "An Act To Ensure 
Fairness among Large Consumers of Natural Gas" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §10111, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2017, c. 282, §3, is 
further amended to read: 
2. Funding level. The natural gas conservation fund, which is a nonlapsing fund, is 
established to carry out the purposes of this section. The commission shall assess each 
gas utility, in accordance with the triennial plan, an amount necessary to capture all cost-
effective energy efficiency that is achievable and reliable for those consumers who are 
eligible to receive funds from the natural gas conservation fund. The commission shall 
direct a gas utility that collects any portion of the assessment under this subsection from a 
customer that is a large-volume manufacturer and large-volume agricultural business to 
collect the assessment only on the first 1,000,000 centum cubic feet of natural gas used 
by that manufacturer or agricultural business in each year. 
The limitation on the 
collection of the assessment from large-volume manufacturers and large-volume 
agricultural businesses may not affect the trust's determination of the amount necessary to 
capture all cost-effective energy efficiency that is achievable and reliable. The limitation 
does not limit the eligibility of a large-volume manufacturer or large-volume agricultural 
business to participate in a natural gas conservation program. All amounts collected 
under this subsection must be transferred to the natural gas conservation fund. Any 
interest on funds in the fund must be credited to the fund. Funds not spent in any fiscal 
year remain in the fund to be used for the purposes of this section. 
The assessments charged to gas utilities under this section are just and reasonable costs 
for rate-making purposes and must be reflected in the rates of gas utilities. 
All funds collected pursuant to this section are collected under the authority and for the 
purposes of this section and are deemed to be held in trust for the purposes of benefiting 
natural gas consumers served by the gas utilities assessed under this subsection. In the 
event funds are not expended or contracted for expenditure within 2 years of being 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~",;. ,. 
CO:MJvfITTEE AMENDMENT"~" to S.P. 267, L.D. 822 
collected from consumers, the commission shall ensure that the value of those funds is 
returned to consumers. 
For purposes of this subsection, "large-volume manufacturer" means a customer that is a 
gas utility ratepayer engaged in manufacturing in the State and purchases at least 
1,000,000 centum cubic feet of natural gas per year. For purposes of this subsection, 
"large-volume agricultural business" means a customer that is a gas utility ratepayer that 
purchases at least 1,000,000 centum cubic feet of natural gas per year and is engaged in 
the commercial growing or harvesting of plants or commercial aquaculture, as def med in 
Title 12, section 6001, subsection Lin the State. 
Rules adopted by the commission under this subsection are routine technical rules as 
defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill. It limits the assessment under the natural gas 
conservation program on a large-volume agricultural business to be allowed only on the 
first 1,000,000 centum cubic feet of natural gas used by that agricultural business in each 
year, but specifies that this limitation does not limit the ability of a large-volume 
agricultural business from participating in a natural gas conservation program and it does 
not affect the determination of the trust on the total amount necessary to capture all cost-
effective energy efficiency that is achievable and reliable. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 03/12/18 fe'ac.. 
-. 128th MAINE LEGISLATURE 
LD 822 
LR 1633(02) 
An Act To Ensure Fairness among Large Consumers of Natural Gas 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment '/\-' ( S-'/Orj) 
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Future biennium revenue decrease - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
~ ... 
This bill limits the natural gas conservation assessment on large-volume agricultural businesses to the first 1 million 
centum cubic feet of annual usage. While this change will decrease revenue to the Efficiency Maine Trust, the total 
assessment collected will still be sufficient for its intended purpose. Any additional costs to the Public Utilities 
Commission as a result of changing the definition of a large-volume manufacturer that is subject to an assessment 
under the natural gas conservation program to also include large-volume agricultural businesses are anticipated to be 
minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LRl 633(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1