An Act To Exempt Agricultural Fairs from the Assessment of Demand Charges for Electricity
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1186
Committee Amendment CA_A_H228 (House)
Amends: 35-A MRSA §10124

FffiST REGULAR SESSION 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,A" to H.P. 860, L.D. 1186, Bill, "An Act To 
Exempt Agricultural Fairs from the Assessment of Demand Charges for Electricity" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Address Electricity Costs of Agricultural Fairs' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
emergency clause and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §10124 is enacted to read: 
§10124. Agricultural fair assistance program 
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
A. "Agricultural fair" has the same meaning as in Title 7. section 81. subsection 1. 
B. 
"Demand charge" means a charge on an electric bill that is based on the 
customer's peak demand for electricity. 
C. 
"Fund" means the agricultural fair assistance program fund established under 
subsection 3. 
D. 
"Program" means the agricultural fair assistance program established under 
subsection 2. 
2. Program established. The trust shall establish and administer an agricultural fair 
assistance program to help agricultural fairs reduce electricity costs through the most 
cost-effective opportunities available. Under the program, the trust shall: 
A. Conduct outreach and provide technical assistance to agricultural fairs to: 
(1) Identify opportunities to reduce electricity costs. including but not limited to 
opportunities to reduce peak electricity demand; and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 860, L.D. 1186 
(2) 
Enroll agricultural fairs in existing programs offered by the trust as 
appropriate; and 
B. 
Offer custom fmancial incentives to agricultural fairs to implement electric 
efficiency and conservation measures, including but not limited to measures to reduce 
peak electricity demand. 
The program may use a definition of cost-effective other than the definition adopted by 
the trust pursuant to section 10110, subsection 2. 
3. 
Fund established. 
The trust shall establish the agricultural fair assistance 
program fund as a nonlapsing fund administered by the trust to fund the program. The 
commission shall assess each transmission and distribution utility an amount necessary to 
collect the total amount of demand charges paid by agricultural fairs in the State to 
transmission and distribution utilities during the prior year. All amounts collected under 
this subsection must be transferred to the fund. Any interest earned 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 by the program. The assessments charged to transmission and distribution utilities 
under this subsection are just and reasonable costs for rate-making purposes. 
The 
commission may issue any appropriate orders to transmission and distribution utilities 
necessary to achieve the goals of this subsection. 
4. Report. No later than January 15, 2022 and January 15, 2024, the trust shall 
submit a report on the program to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over energy and utility matters. The report must include information on 
program implementation, total deposits into and expenditures from the fund, program 
activity and reductions in peak electricity demand, energy consumption and electricity 
costs achieved. After receiving the report due by January 15, 2024, the committee may 
report out a bill relating to the program to the Second Regular Session of the 13lst 
Legislature. 
5. Repeal; remaining funds. This section is repealed June 30, 2024. In the event 
funds in the fund are not expended or contracted for expenditure as of June 30, 2024. the 
commission shall ensure that the value of those funds is returned to electricity consumers. 
Sec. 2. Rate design; proceeding; report. The Public Utilities Commission shall 
open a proceeding to examine rate design and related issues for electricity customers that 
have seasonal, limited-duration, concentrated load profiles, including but not limited to 
agricultural fairs, seasonal festivals and other similar entities. In this proceeding, the 
commission shall examine options for alternative rate design, with particular attention to 
electricity demand charges, and identify other types of electricity customers, in addition 
to agricultural fairs, that may benefit from a program similar to that established under the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 10124. No later than December 1, 2019, the 
commission shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations under this section 
to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. The committee 
may report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature based on the 
report.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ·A" to H.P. 860, L.D. 1186 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill. 
The amendment establishes a program 
administered by the Efficiency Maine Trust to help agricultural fairs reduce electricity 
costs through efficiency and conservation. The program includes outreach and technical 
assistance to agricultural fairs to identify opportunities to lower electricity costs and 
enroll agricultural fairs in existing programs offered by the trust as appropriate. The 
program also provides custom financial incentives to agricultural fairs to implement 
electric efficiency and conservation measures, including but not limited to measures to 
reduce peak electricity demand. Funds for the program are set at the total amount paid in 
demand charges by agricultural fairs in the State during the prior year and are collected 
from electricity customers by transmission and distribution utilities. The trust is required 
to report to the Legislature on the program in January 2022 and January 2024, and the 
program has a sunset date of June 30, 2024. 
The amendment also directs the Public Utilities Commission to examine rate design 
and related issues for electricity customers that, like agricultural fairs, have seasonal, 
limited-duration, concentrated load profiles. It requires the commission to submit a 
report on its findings and recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, 
Utilities and Technology and authorizes the committee to report out a bill to the Second 
Regular Session of the 129th Legislature based on the rep01t. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/03/19 feac:.. 
LD 1186 
LR 827(02) 
An Act To Exempt Agricultural Fairs from the Assessment of Demand Charges for Electricity 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment fi,( /-J-J}r) 
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - Efficiency Maine Trust 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Any additional costs to the Efficiency Maine Trust (EMT) as a result of the implementation of a program to work 
with agricultural fair organizations to identify opportunities to lower electricity costs are anticipated to be minor and 
can be absorbed within the existing resources of the EMT. Any additional cost to the Public Utilities Commission 
(PUC) to examine the rate design and related issues of seasonal, limited duration, concentrated load profile customers 
and to report back on the findings is anticipated to be minor and can be absorbed within the existing budgeted 
resources of the PUC. 
LR0827(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1