An Act To Promote Solar Energy Projects and Distributed Generation Resources in Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1711
Committee Amendment CA_A-HA_A_H618 (House)
Amends: 35-A MRSA §3210-G

HOUSE AMENDMENT '' A " 
to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 565, 
L.D. 1711, Bill, "An Act To Promote Solar Energy Projects and Distributed Generation 
Resources in Maine" 
Amend the amendment in Patt A, section 4 in §3209-B in subsection 1 in paragraph 
C in the last line (page 3, line 6 in amendment) by striking out the following: "subsection 
.L
and inserting the following: •subsection L' 
Amend the amendment in Part B by striking out all of sections 1 to 3 and inserting 
the following: 
1Sec. B-1. 35-A MRSA §3210-G is enacted to read: 
§3210-G. Additional long-term contracts 
The commission shall direct investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities to 
enter into contracts for distributed resources in accordance ·with this section. 
For 
purposes of this section. "distributed resource" means an electric generating facility that 
uses a renewable fuel or technology under section 3210, subsection 2, paragraph B-3, 
regardless of its power production capacity, and is located in the service territo1y of a 
transmission and distribution utility in the State. 
· 
1. Solicitations. For the purposes of selecting potential distributed resources for 
contracting under this section, the commission _shall conduct at least 2 competitive 
solicitations by January L 2025. 
Following review of bids. the commi_ssion may 
negotiate with one or more potential suppliers. If only one bid is offered, the commission 
shall ensure that negotiations are based on full project cost disclosure by the potential 
supplier. The commission shall negotiate contracts that are commercially reasonable and 
that commit all parties to commercially reasonable behavior, except that a contract may 
not exceed 100 megawatts in capacity. The commission may direct investor-owned 
transmission and distribution utilities to enter into contracts for distributed resources 
pursuant to this section only to the extent the aggregate projected costs of all contracts 
entered into does not exceed the commission's best estimate of the aggregate costs of 
long-term contracts for 375 megawatts of distributed resources if the capacity of each 
resource were limited to no more than 5 megawatts of capacity. 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
ROFS 
HOUSE AMENDMENT ·A'" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 565, L.D. 1711 
2. Disposition of resources. An investor-owned transmission and distribution utility 
shall sell distributed resource capacity, energy or renewable energy credits purchased 
pursuant to this section or take other action relative to such resources, energy or 
renewable energy credits as directed by the commission. 
3. Cost recovery. The commission shall ensure that all costs and direct financial 
benefits associated with contracts entered into under this section are allocated to 
ratepayers in accordance with section 3210-F. A price differential existing at any time 
during the term of the contract between the contract price and the prevailing market price 
at which the capacity resource is sold or any gains or losses derived from contracts for 
differences must be reflected in the amounts charged to ratepayers and may not be 
considered imprudent.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces Part B of the amendment. It directs the Public Utilities 
Commission to direct investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities to enter into 
contracts for distributed resources, defined as electric generating facilities that use a 
renewable fuel or technology, regardless of power production capacity, and that are 
located in the service territory of a transmission and distribution utility in the State. The 
commission is required to conduct at least 2 competitive solicitations by January 1, 2025 
to select distributed resources for contracting. The commission, however, may direct 
investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities to enter into contracts for 
distributed resources only to the extent the aggregate projected costs of all contracts 
entered into does not exceed the commission's best estimate of the aggregate costs of 
l~mg-term contracts for 375 megawatts of distributed resources if the capacity of each 
resource were limited to no more than 5 megawatts of capacity. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
SPONSORED BY: ;;ff; trz;;;;t~-
(Representative l 
STER) 
TOWN: Dexter 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/14/19 feac. 
LD 1711 
LR 1803(03) 
An Act To Promote Solar Energy Projects and Distributed Generation Resources in Maine 
Fiscal Note for House Amendment ?1'• to Committee Amendment "A" 
Sponsor: Rep. Foster of Dexter 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
~evenue 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2019-20 
FY 2020-21 
($734,983) 
($851,658) 
($734,983) 
($851,658) 
Projections 
FY2021-22 
($863,576) 
($863,576) 
Projections 
FY2022-23 
($875,825) 
($875,826) 
This amendment replaces portions of the bill regarding the procurement of distributed generation. Under this 
amendment, the Public utilities Commission would be required to conduct at least two solicitations for long-tenn 
contracts to acquire distributed energy resources and must do that without exceeding the aggregate cost of the 
procurement process it replaces. Additional staff would no longer be needed and the allocations in the committee 
amendment for staff and contracted consultants are reversed. 
LR1803(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1