An Act to Enact the Beneficial Electrification Policy Act
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1724
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Sponsors: GROHOSKI, FOSTER, KESSLER
Amends: 35-A MRSA §10104

Legislative Document
No. 1724
S.P. 688
In Senate, April 20, 2023
An Act to Enact the Beneficial Electrification Policy Act
Reference to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered 
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator GROHOSKI of Hancock.
Cosponsored by Representatives: FOSTER of Dexter, KESSLER of South Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  35-A MRSA c. 38 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 38
BENEFICIAL ELECTRIFICATION POLICY ACT
§3801. Short title
This chapter may be known and cited as "the Beneficial Electrification Policy Act."
§3802. Policy of beneficial electrification
The policy of beneficial electrification is the use or adoption of technologies and 
processes to power consumer end uses with electricity in a manner that will lower overall 
energy costs for consumers and lower emission of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, 
without negatively impacting grid reliability, as determined by the commission. If a policy 
or decision has the effect of increasing electricity rates over the life of measures enacted 
by the policy or decision that would otherwise be considered beneficial electrification, that 
policy or decision is presumed to be not consistent with the policy of beneficial 
electrification unless the commission determines that the policy or decision is necessary 
and prudent with respect to the beneficial electrification and the State's economy.
§3803. Support for the policy of beneficial electrification
The State shall support the policy of beneficial electrification pursuant to this section.
1.  Consideration of policy.  The commission shall consider the policy of beneficial 
electrification in regulating utilities subject to this Title and in meeting greenhouse gas 
reduction goals under Title 38, section 576-A.
2.  Beneficial electrification.  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, 
the commission shall develop and implement a multi-year plan to promote beneficial 
electrification.  The plan may include phasing in procurement of renewable generation of 
energy to accommodate growth in the electric load.  The Efficiency Maine Trust shall 
develop a 3-year beneficial electrification plan as part of the trust's triennial plan or a 
standalone plan to facilitate the implementation of the policy of beneficial electrification.  
The commission shall incorporate the trust's plan into the multi-year plan.  The commission 
may use money from any source to implement the plan established under this subsection.  
The commission shall propose and approve surcharges on energy production, distribution 
or consumption that the commission determines are necessary for the cost-effective 
implementation of beneficial electrification consistent with the plans.  The commission 
may transfer money or order money to be paid directly to the trust or other state agencies 
to implement the plans and shall require annual reporting of money requests, transfers and 
expenditures.
3.  Monitoring beneficial electrification trends and opportunities.  To the extent 
possible through readily available information, the commission and the Efficiency Maine 
Trust shall coordinate to monitor:
A.  The level of beneficial electrification activity in relation to the cost-effective 
developments, policies and programs in section 3804;
B.  Basic trends in beneficial electrification; and 
C.  The likely relative costs and benefits for ratepayers from implementation of various 
beneficial electrification programs and opportunities.
4.  Coordination between agencies.  Within existing programs and resources, the 
Small Enterprise Growth Program, as established in Title 10, chapter 13; the Maine 
Technology Institute, as established in Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 33-D; the 
Maine Rural Development Authority, as established in Title 5, section 12004-F, subsection 
18; the Finance Authority of Maine, as established in Title 10, chapter 110; and the 
Department of Economic and Community Development shall coordinate with the 
commission and the Efficiency Maine Trust to seek opportunities to promote investment 
in the adoption and development of beneficial electrification.
5.  Supplier consolidated billing.  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the 
contrary, the commission shall adopt rules that require the standard-offer service providers 
under section 3212 and competitive electricity providers to offer and allow residential 
electricity consumers to elect supplier consolidated billing for retail electricity service. The 
commission shall adopt rules to encourage providers to provide electricity supply options 
to allow consumers choice in time of use rates for electricity supply and otherwise 
personalize consumer energy consumption. For purposes of this subsection, "supplier 
consolidated billing" means a practice through which a competitive electricity provider 
calculates and issues bills for transmission and distribution service and electric supply upon 
request of a consumer and with the agreement of the competitive electricity provider.  
§3804. Cost-effective developments, policies and programs
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the commission shall pursue 
cost-effective developments, policies and programs that implement the policy of beneficial 
electrification to meaningfully contribute to reducing the State's dependence on imported 
energy sources, provide economic and climate benefits for all ratepayers regardless of 
income level, adapt the procurement of energy generation consistent with the policy of 
beneficial electrification and implement consumer financing systems that support greater 
consumer choice for beneficial electrification applications while ensuring consumer 
protections and empowering energy consumers.  To the extent practicable, the commission 
shall balance the acquisition of renewable electricity with the reasonably expected 
increased use of renewable electricity by retail electricity consumers.
§3805. Reporting
The commission shall include a summary of its activities with regard to beneficial 
electrification in its annual report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over energy matters.
§3806. Rules
The commission shall adopt rules to implement this chapter. Rules adopted pursuant 
to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
Sec. 2.  35-A MRSA §10104, sub-§2, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, 
§3, is amended to read:
C.  The efficiency with which programs are planned, designed, overseen and delivered 
is maximized; and
Sec. 3.  35-A MRSA §10104, sub-§2, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, 
§3, is amended to read:
D.  Sufficient checks and balances are provided to ensure consistency with public 
policy and accountability for meeting the principles set out in paragraphs A to C and E 
so that energy efficiency programs in the State are sustainable for the long term.; and
Sec. 4.  35-A MRSA §10104, sub-§2, ¶E is enacted to read:
E.  Programs are planned and implemented to advance the policy of beneficial 
electrification as described by chapter 38.
Sec. 5.  35-A MRSA §10104, sub-§11, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, §3, is 
amended to read:
11.  Other duties.  The trust shall do all things necessary or convenient to carry out 
the lawful purposes of the trust.  The trust shall perform any action assigned to the trust by 
the commission to implement the policy of beneficial electrification described by chapter 
38.
Sec. 6.  Study; report required.  The Public Utilities Commission shall conduct a 
study on how to most cost-effectively provide consumer financing of beneficial 
electrification products, including items for energy efficiency, home or business energy 
storage, electric vehicle charging equipment and other distributed energy products through 
the Efficiency Maine Trust or through on-bill financing by standard-offer service providers 
or competitive electricity providers.  No later than December 6, 2023, the Public Utilities 
Commission shall submit to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and 
Technology a report on implementing supplier consolidated billing to support beneficial 
electrification as required by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 3803, 
subsection 5 and the study on consumer financing required by this section.
SUMMARY
This bill describes the policy of beneficial electrification and requires that the Public 
Utilities Commission, Efficiency Maine Trust and other state agencies implement certain 
policies and programs to support the policy of beneficial electrification.  The bill requires 
the Public Utilities Commission to study certain options for consumer financing of 
beneficial electrification products and to submit a report to the Legislature on implementing 
supplier consolidated billing to support beneficial electrification and on the results of the 
consumer finance study.