An Act To Ensure Resiliency of the Maine Electrical Grid
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0529
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Sponsors: RYKERSON, MIRAMANT
Amends: 35-A MRSA §3144

Legislative Document
No. 529
H.P. 373
House of Representatives, February 9, 2017
An Act To Ensure Resiliency of the Maine Electrical Grid
Reference to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative RYKERSON of Kittery.
Cosponsored by Senator MIRAMANT of Knox.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  35-A MRSA §3144 is enacted to read: 
§3144.  Protection from geomagnetic disturbances and electromagnetic pulses 
The commission shall direct transmission and distribution utilities to take actions to 
ensure that their systems are protected from or able to negate effects of geomagnetic 
disturbances and electromagnetic pulses. 
All costs incurred by transmission and distribution utilities as a result of the 
requirement imposed under this section are just and reasonable for rate-making purposes. 
The costs of a failure of a transmission and distribution system resulting from 
geomagnetic disturbances or electromagnetic pulses are the responsibility of the 
transmission and distribution utility. 
Sec. 2.  Mitigation; geomagnetic disturbances and electromagnetic pulses.  
In accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 3144, by July 1, 2018, 
the Public Utilities Commission shall direct transmission and distribution utilities to 
undertake mitigation measures to protect their systems from geomagnetic disturbances 
and electromagnetic pulses as identified in the Public Utilities Commission report dated 
January 20, 2014, entitled, "Report to the Legislature Pursuant to Resolves 2013, Chapter 
45, Regarding Geomagnetic Disturbances (GMD) and Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)," 
including but not limited to the installation of additional geomagnetically induced current 
monitoring sites, neutral current blocking devices, supervisory control and data 
acquisition system protectors and the holding of sufficient spare transformers on site to 
more quickly replace damaged transformers. 
SUMMARY 
This bill gives the Public Utilities Commission the authority to require transmission 
and distribution utilities to take necessary actions to ensure that their systems are 
protected from or able to negate effects of geomagnetic disturbances and electromagnetic 
pulses. This bill provides that any costs incurred by a transmission and distribution utility 
as a result of a directive by the commission are just and reasonable for rate-making 
purposes; however, the costs of a failure of a transmission and distribution system 
resulting from geomagnetic disturbances or electromagnetic pulses are the responsibility 
of the transmission and distribution utility. 
The bill also directs the Public Utilities Commission, by July 1, 2018, to direct 
transmission and distribution utilities to undertake mitigation measures, including but not 
limited to the installation of additional geomagnetically induced current monitoring sites, 
neutral current blocking devices and supervisory control and data acquisition system 
protectors and the holding of sufficient spare transformers on site to more quickly replace 
damaged transformers. Identified measures were included in the Public Utilities 
Commission report dated January 20, 2014, entitled, "Report to the Legislature Pursuant 
to Resolves 2013, Chapter 45, Regarding Geomagnetic Disturbances (GMD) and 
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)."