Resolve, To Reduce the Operational Costs of Ferries in the State
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1887
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: McDONALD, VITELLI, BERRY, DOUDERA, HEPLER, HUBBELL, NADEAU, RYKERSON, CARSON, CHENETTE

Legislative Document
No. 1887
H.P. 1353
House of Representatives, December 24, 2019
Resolve, To Reduce the Operational Costs of Ferries in the State
(EMERGENCY)
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 20, 2019.  Referred to the Committee on 
Transportation pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative McDONALD of Stonington.
Cosponsored by Senator VITELLI of Sagadahoc and
Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, DOUDERA of Camden, HEPLER of Woolwich, 
HUBBELL of Bar Harbor, NADEAU of Winslow, RYKERSON of Kittery, Senators: 
CARSON of Cumberland, CHENETTE of York.
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, this legislation requires the Department of Transportation, Maine State 
Ferry Service to develop an evaluation process to compare the cost of fuel over the 
anticipated service life of a vessel as part of the new ferry vessel procurement process; 
and
Whereas, this legislation also requires the Department of Transportation to perform 
a feasibility assessment to determine the costs and barriers associated with the use of 
ferry vessels powered by electricity instead of fossil fuel; and
Whereas, it is imperative that the evaluation process be developed and the 
feasibility assessment be performed as soon as possible in order to be available for new 
ferry vessel procurements using existing funds; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, be it
Sec. 1.  Ferry vessels powered by alternative fuel sources.  Resolved:  That 
the Department of Transportation, Maine State Ferry Service shall seek alternative fuel 
sources for its ferry vessels, including electricity from renewable sources, in order to help 
reduce or control ongoing operational costs as well as to help the State meet its climate 
goals established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 576-A.
Sec. 2.  Feasibility assessment.  Resolved:  That the Department of 
Transportation shall perform a feasibility assessment to determine the costs and barriers 
associated with the use by the Maine State Ferry Service of ferry vessels powered by 
electricity instead of fossil fuel.  The feasibility assessment must examine, at a minimum, 
the following issues:
1.  The age of the current Maine State Ferry Service fleet and the expected service 
life of each vessel;
2.  The anticipated timing of any repowering or significant overhauls of existing 
vessels;
3.  The anticipated timing of the planning and construction of new vessels and the 
expected or planned service life of the new vessels;
4.  For each vessel, the current annual fuel usage, the current annual cost of fuel, the 
number of hours operated each year, the average gallons per hour, the size of the fuel 
tanks and the refueling frequency;
5.  Any foreseeable operational changes that may have a bearing on the amount of 
fuel used by each vessel;
6.  The difficulty of switching fuel sources when repowering existing vessels;
7.  The availability of naval architects, engineers and boatyards to design and build 
vessels powered by electricity;
8.  Operational, staffing, safety and reliability concerns associated with including at 
least one vessel powered by electricity in the Maine State Ferry Service fleet and whether 
the use of diesel or electric hybrid technology would reduce those concerns; and
9.  Regulatory constraints from the United States Coast Guard and specific 
identification of the applicable statutes, rules and guidance documents that bear on those 
constraints.
Sec. 3.  Evaluation of alternatives.  Resolved:  That, in any procurement 
process for a new ferry vessel, the Department of Transportation, Maine State Ferry 
Service shall develop an evaluation process to compare the cost of fuel over the 
anticipated service life of a vessel powered by electricity and a vessel powered by fossil 
fuel.  This evaluation should focus solely on operational costs and be based on reasonable 
assumptions about the cost of fuel over the anticipated service life of the vessel.
Sec. 4.  Report.  Resolved:  That, no later than July 31, 2020, the Department of 
Transportation shall submit a report detailing the results of the feasibility assessment 
under section 2 and the process to evaluate alternatives under section 3 to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Transportation.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This resolve directs the Department of Transportation, Maine State Ferry Service to 
seek alternative fuel sources for its ferry vessels, including electricity from renewable 
sources, in order to help reduce or control ongoing operational costs as well as to help the 
State meet its climate goals.  It directs the Maine State Ferry Service to develop an 
evaluation process to compare the cost of fuel over the anticipated service life of a vessel 
powered by electricity and a vessel powered by fossil fuel to use as part of the new vessel 
procurement process.
The department is directed to perform a feasibility assessment to determine the costs 
and barriers associated with the use by the Maine State Ferry Service of ferry vessels 
powered by electricity instead of fossil fuel and to submit a report on its findings and the 
vessel evaluation process developed by the Maine State Ferry Service to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Transportation by July 31, 2020.