An Act Regarding Customer Costs and the Environmental and Health Effects of Natural Gas
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 2077
Committee Amendment CA_A_H890 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " /\" to H,P. 1336, L.D. 2077, "An Act Regarding
Customer Costs and the Environmental and Health Effects of Natural Gas"
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following;
'Resolve, to Study the Role of Natural Gas in an Equitable Clean Energy Transition
for Maine'
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and inserting the following:
TART A
Sec. A-l. Public Utilities Commission inquiry. Resolved: That, by October 1,
2024, the Public Utilities Commission shall conduct an inquiry that includes, but is not
limited to, an evaluation of investment planning undertaken by gas utilities aud
consideration of a framework for commission oversight of future investments made by gas
utilities, In conducting its inquiry, the commission shall consider:
1, The requirements of the Mame Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 103-A;
2. The policy of beneficial electriflcation under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A,
chapter 3 8; and
3. The goals established by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section .3210,
subsection 1-A, the state energy plan under Title 2, section 9, subsection 3, paragraph C
and the climate action plan adopted pursuant to Title 3 8, section 577,
Sec. A-2. Report. Resolved: That, by December 1, 2025, the Public Utilities
Commission shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having
jurisdiction over utility matters that includes an overview of the inquiry required pursuant
to section 1 of this Part, a summary of any actions the commission plans to take as well as
any recommendations for legislation, The committee may report out a bill related to the
report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature.
PART B
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A-" to H.P. 1336, L.D.2077
-^
Sec. B-l. Governor's Energy Office evaluation. Resolved: That the Governor's
Energy Office shall, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission, review and
evaluate;
1, The current use of natural gas in meeting the existing energy needs of the residential,
commercial, institutional, industrial and power generation sectors in the State;
2, The role of natural gas in ensuring the energy security of manufacturers and large
commercial customers and in providing employment for residents of the State;
3. Policy and regulatory activities concerning natural gas utilities in other states and
conceming the role of existing gas infrastructure in supporting the transition to a low-
carbon future;
4, New and emerging technologies for the production, transportation, deliveiy and
storage of natural gas; and
5. New and emerging teclmologies that may enable alternative cost-effective uses of
existing natural gas infrastructure consistent with the requirements of the Maine Revised
Statutes, Title 38, section 576-A and the climate action plan adopted pursuant to Title 38,
section 577, including, but not limited to, renewable natural gas, clean hydrogen and district
geothermal technologies.
The Governor's Energy Office shall encourage interested stakeholders to submit
relevant information to inform the evaluation required under this section.
Sec. B-2. Report. Resolved: That, by December 1, 2025, the Governor's Energy
Office shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having
jurisdiction over utility matters that includes an overview of the evaluation required
pursuant to section 1 of this Part and any recommendations for legislation. The committee
may report out a bill related to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd
Legislature,
PART C
Sec. C-l. Commission established. Resolved: That the Commission to Study the
Establishment of a Just and Equitable Transition for Maine's Workforce Impacted by State
Energy Policies and Goals, referred to in this Part as "the commission, is established.
Sec. C-2. Membership. Resolved: That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, the
commission consists of 13 members appointed as follows:
1. One member of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate;
2, One member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the
House;
3. Four public members, 2 of whom must be from or represent interests in the northern
part of the State, appointed by the President of the Senate as follows:
A, An individual representing the environmental justice community;
B, An individual representing a labor organization whose workers are employed in the
energy industry;
C. A representative of a business that is a large-scale user of energy in the State; and
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " Jlf" to H,P,1336, L.D,2077
" ]^" to H,P,
D, An individual representing the interests of the fishing industry in the State;
4, Four public members appointed by the Speaker of the House as follows:
A. An individual representing the frontline community;
B. An individual representing the interests of the renewable energy industry;
C. An individual representing the interests of the energy industry who is not in the
renewable energy industry; and
D. An individual representing a registered apprenticeship program under the Maine
Revised Statutes, Title 26, chapter 37 or a joint committee as described in Title 26,
section 3201, subsection 4, paragraph A; and
5, Three ex officio members as follows;
A, The Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner's designee;
B, The Director of the Governor's Energy Office or the director's designee; and
C. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development or the
commissioner's designee.
For the purposes of this section, "frontline community" means a community that is the
most vulnerable to and will be the most adversely affected by climate change and
inequitable actions because of systemic and historical socioeconomic disparities,
environmental injustice or other forms of injustice,
Sec. C-3. Chairs; quorum. Resolved: That the Senate member is the Senate chair
and the House of Representatives member is the House chair of the commission, A quorum
is 7 members, and a quorum must be present to start a meeting but is not required to
continue a meeting,
Sec. C-4. Appointments; convening of commission. Resolved: That all
appointments must be made no later than 30 days following the effective date of this
resolve, The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the Legislative
Council once all appointments have been made, When the appointment of all members has
been completed, the chairs of the commission shall call and convene the first meeting of
the commission, If 30 days or more after the effective date of this resolve a majority of but
not all appointments have been made, the chairs may request authority and the Legislative
Council may grant authority for the commission to meet and conduct its business,
Sec. C-5. Duties. Resolved: That the commission shall;
1. Review and evaluate the State's current energy workforce, including compensation
levels and benefits that are provided for workers in the energy industry;
2, Consider the current workforce demands of the State's energy industry and how best
to meet the needs of energy consumers, including the number and types of jobs needed to
achieve the State's energy policy and goals;
3, Consider the current compensation levels, including benefits associated with the
8 types of jobs needed to meet the State's energy policy and goals;
4, Review any current efforts to ensure individuals employed in the State's energy
industry experience a just and equitable transition to existing and potential future jobs in
the energy industry, including efforts to mitigate potential losses in compensation and
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " ^" to H.P,1336, L.D. 2077
benefits, establish a crosswalk of transferable skills and certifications and address new or
supplemental training needs;
5. Consider the economic benefits of a well-compensated workforce in the State as it
pertains to careers that help the State meet its energy policies and goals; and
6. Examine how a coordinated and holistic statewide effort to ensure a just and
equitable transition for individuals employed in the State's energy industry could benefit
from the establishment of a state agency, such as an Office of Just and Equitable Transition,
dedicated to that purpose and how such an agency could also help meet the needs of
employers in the energy industry,
Sec. C-6. Staff assistance. Resolved: That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, the
Legislative Council shall provide necessary staffing services to the commission, except that
Legislative Council staff support is not authorized when the Legislature is in regular or
special session.
Sec. C-7. Report. Resolved: That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, no later than
December 4, 2024, the commission shall submit a report to the joint standing committees
of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy matters and labor matters that includes
the commission's findings and recommendations. The report may include a review of
current and future needs of the State's energy industry and its workforce, including needs
related to compensation, transferable skills and training. The report may also include
recommendations for the structure and functions of a state agency dedicated to ensuring a
just and equitable transition for the State's workforce and meeting the needs of the
businesses in the energy industry that employ them. The joint standing committees may
each report out a bill to the 132nd Legislature in 2025 related to the report.'
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section
number to read consecutively,
SUMMARY
This amendment replaces the bill with a resolve. The amendment does the following,
1. Part A directs the Public Utilities Commission to conduct an inquiry that includes
an evaluation of investment planning undertaken by gas utilities and consideration of a
framework for commission oversight of future investments made by gas utilities. By
December 1,2025, the commission must submit a report to the joint standing committee of
the Legislature having jurisdiction over utility matters that includes an overview of the
inquu'y, a summary of any actions the commission plans to take as well as any
recommendations for legislation. The committee may report out a bill related to the report
to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature,
2, Part B requires the Governor's Energy Office in consultation with the Public Utilities
Commission, to review and evaluate various issues related to the natural gas industry in the
8 State, By December 1,2025, the Governor's Energy Office must submit a report to the joint
9 standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utility matters that includes
an overview of the evaluation and any recommendations for legislation. The committee
may report out a bill related to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd
Legislature,
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "j^" to H,P. 1336, L,D,2077
3. Part C establishes the Commission to Study the Establishment of a Just and Equitable
Transition for Maine's Workforce Impacted by State Energy Policies and Goals. The
commission s duties include reviewing and evaluating the State's current energy workforce
including compensation levels and benefits that are provided for workers in the energy
industry; considering the current workforce demands of the State's energy industry and how
best to meet the needs of energy consumers, mcluding the number and types of jobs needed
to achieve the State's energy policy and goals; considering the current compensation levels
including benefits associated with the types of jobs needed to meet the State s energy policy
and goals; reviewmg any current efforts to ensure individuals employed in the State's
energy industry experience a just and equitable transition to existing and potential future
jobs in the energy industry; considering the economic benefits of a well-compensated
workforce in the State as it pertains to careers that help the State meet its energy policies
and goals; and examining how a coordinated and holistic statewide effort to ensure a just
and equitable transition for individuals employed m the State's energy industry could
benefit from the establishment of a state agency dedicated to that purpose and how such an
agency could also help meet the needs of employers in the energy industry, No later than
December 4, 2024, the commission must submit a report to the joint standing committees
on energy matters and labor matters that includes its findings and recommendations, The
joint standing committees may each report out a bill to the 132nd Legislature in 2025
related to the report,
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)
Page5-131LR2893(02)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Approved: 03/26/24 ^tWKC-
LD 2077 LR 2893(02)
••• . , ',
An Act Regarding Customer Costs and the Environmental and Health Effects of Natural Gas
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'yy/
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology ^
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Legislative Cost/Study
Legislative Cost/Study
The general operating expenses of this study are projected to be $1,650 in fiscal year 2024-25, The Legislature's
budget for-the 2024-2025 biennium includes $14,500 in each of fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25 for the costs of
legislative studies, as well as $38,909 of balances earned over from prior years for this purpose, Whether these
amounts are sufficient to fund all studies will depend on the number of studies authorized by the Legislative Council
and the Legislature. The additional costs of providing staffing assistance to the study during the interim can be
absorbed utilizing existing budgeted staff resources.
Fiscal Detail and Notes
Any additional costs to the Public Utilities Commission, the Governor's Energy Office, the Department of Labor and
the Department of Economic and Community Development from the provisions of this bill are expected to be minor
and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources.
LR2893(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1