An Act To Accelerate Weatherization Efforts in the State
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0551
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Sponsors: KESSLER, POULIOT
Amends: 35-A MRSA §10102, 35-A MRSA §10104, 35-A MRSA §10109, 35-A MRSA §10110, 35-A MRSA §10111, 35-A MRSA §10119

Legislative Document
No. 551
H.P. 396
House of Representatives, February 24, 2021
An Act To Accelerate Weatherization Efforts in the State
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 22, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Energy, Utilities and Technology pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative KESSLER of South Portland.
Cosponsored by Senator POULIOT of Kennebec.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  35-A MRSA §10102, sub-§6-A is enacted to read:
6-A.  Low-income.  "Low-income" means, when used to describe an individual or 
member of a household, participating in any local, state or federal program that is based on 
income eligibility.
Sec. 2.  35-A MRSA §10104, sub-§4, ¶F, as amended by PL 2019, c. 313, §5 and 
c. 476, §4, is further amended by repealing subparagraph (2) and enacting the following in 
its place:
(2)  Weatherizing 17,500 homes and businesses by 2025 and 35,000 homes and 
businesses by 2030, including at least 1,000 units of housing for low-income 
individuals or households per year from 2022 to 2030; and
Sec. 3.  35-A MRSA §10109, sub-§4, ¶A, as amended by PL 2019, c. 69, §1, is 
further amended to read:
A.  Trust funds must be allocated for measures, investments, loans, technical assistance 
and arrangements that reduce electricity consumption, increase energy efficiency or 
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy costs at commercial or industrial 
facilities and for investment in measures that lower residential heating energy demand 
and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  The measures that lower residential heating 
demand must be fuel-neutral and may include, but are not limited to, energy efficiency 
improvements to residential buildings and upgrades to efficient heating systems that 
will reduce residential energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, as determined by 
the board.  The trust shall ensure that measures to reduce the cost of residential heating 
are available for low-income households as defined by the trust.  When promoting 
electricity cost and consumption reduction, the trust may consider measures at 
commercial and industrial facilities that also lower peak capacity demand.  Subject to 
the apportionment pursuant to this subsection, the trust shall fund conservation 
programs that give priority to measures with the highest benefit-to-cost ratio, as long 
as cost-effective collateral efficiency opportunities are not lost, and that:
(1)  Reliably reduce greenhouse gas production and heating energy costs by fossil 
fuel combustion in the State at the lowest cost in funds from the trust fund per unit 
of emissions; or
(2)  Reliably increase the efficiency with which energy in the State is consumed at 
the lowest cost in funds from the trust fund per unit of energy saved.
Sec. 4.  35-A MRSA §10110, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2019, c. 365, §3, is 
further amended to read:
A.  The trust shall consider, without limitation, conservation programs that:
(1)  Increase consumer awareness of cost-effective options for conserving energy;
(2)  Create more favorable market conditions for the increased use of energy-
efficient products and services;
(3)  Promote sustainable economic development and reduce environmental 
damage;
(4)  Reduce the price of electricity over time for all consumers by achieving 
reductions in demand for electricity during peak use periods, including by the 
implementation of beneficial electrification; and
(5)  Reduce total energy costs for electricity consumers in the State by increasing 
the efficiency with which electricity is consumed.; and
(6)  Reduce total energy consumption by electricity consumers in the State through 
provision of cost-effective energy efficiency and weatherization measures in 
accordance with section 10119, subsection 2, paragraph A, subparagraph (1).
Sec. 5.  35-A MRSA §10110, sub-§2, ¶B, as amended by PL 2015, c. 494, Pt. A, 
§39, is further amended by amending subparagraph (1) to read:
(1)  Target at least 10% of funds for electricity conservation collected under former 
subsection 4 or subsection 4‑A or $2,600,000, whichever is greater, to programs 
for low-income residential consumers, as defined by the board by rule;
Sec. 6.  35-A MRSA §10111, sub-§1, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, 
§3, is amended by amending subparagraph (1) to read:
(1)  A reasonable percentage of the available funds is directed to programs for low-
income residential consumers, as defined by the trust. The trust shall establish the 
percentage based on an assessment of the opportunity for cost-effective 
conservation measures for such consumers, including an assessment of the number 
of low-income residential consumers that may be eligible for such programs;
Sec. 7.  35-A MRSA §10119, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2019, c. 306, §6, is 
further amended by repealing subparagraph (1) and enacting the following in its place:
(1)  To weatherize 17,500 homes and businesses by 2025 and 35,000 homes and 
businesses by 2030, including at least 1,000 units of housing for low-income 
individuals or households per year from 2022 to 2030; and
SUMMARY
This bill allows Efficiency Maine Trust funds for conservation programs that help 
reduce energy costs for electricity consumers to be used toward weatherization efforts to 
achieve the weatherization of 17,500 homes and businesses by 2025 and 35,000 homes and 
businesses by 2030, including at least 1,000 units of housing for low-income individuals 
or households per year.  It also defines the term "low-income" in the laws governing the 
trust.