An Act Duectmg the Pubhc Utilities Commission to Study the State Natural Gas Supply Pursuant to the Mame Energy Cost Reduction Act
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0698
Committee Amendment CA_A_H185 (House)
Amends: 35-A MRSA §1903, 35-A MRSA §1909-A, 35-A MRSA §1912, 35-A MRSA §4701-A

CO:MlvIITTEE AMENDl\IBNT A-" to HP 467, L D 698, "An Act Duectmg the 
Pubhc Utilities Commission to Study the State Natural Gas Supply Pursuant to the Mame 
Energy Cost Reduction Act" 
Amend the bill by str1kmg out the title and substitutmg the following 
'An Act to Reduce the Cost of Energy in Mame and Reduce Greenhouse Gas 
Em1ss1ons Through the Effective Use ofRenewably Sourced Gas' 
Amend the bill by str1kmg out everythmg after the enactmg clause and msertmg the 
followmg 
'Sec.1. 35-A MRSA §1903, as amended by PL 2015, c 445, §§3 and 4, ts repealed 
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §1909-A 1s enacted to iead 
§1909-A. Regional natural gas monitoring; commission interventmn 
1. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proceedmgs. The commiss10n shall 
A Monitor proceedmgs at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commiss10n ielated to 
mterstate natural gas transportat10n capacity m New England and the N mtheast, and 
B If the commiss10n believes that mterventlon and participation m a proceedmg 
described m paragraph A will best represent the mterests of the State's electric and gas 
ratepayers, mtervene and participate m the proceedmg and seek to achieve a result that 
will ensure the lowest possible natural gas and electricity prices for consumers m the 
State 
2. Report. By December 31st of any year m which the c01mniss10n has mtervened and 
participated m a proceedmg pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph B, the commission shall 
submit a report to the 10mt standmg committee of the Legislature havmg rnnsdiction over 
energy and utility matters summanzmg its participat10n 
Sec. 3. 35-A MRSA §1912, as amended by PL 2017, c 22, §1, is 1epealed 
Sec. 4. 35-A MRSA §4701-A 1s enacted to read 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~os 1 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT~ '' to HP 467, L D 698 
§4701-A. Renewably sourced gas; authorized with commission approval 
1. Definition. For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise mdicates, 
the followmg term has the followmg meanmg 
A "Renewably sourced gas" means gas that the commiss10n finds has been processed 
to meet pipelme, eqmpment and appliance quality standards to blend with or substitute 
for geologically derived natural gas and may mclude gas that 
(1) Is produced by anaerobic digest10n or gasification of agricultural waste, dany 
or ammal residual materials or landfill biomass material, 
(2) Is produced by wastewater treatment or other waste processes, or 
(3) Has a lower carbon content than natural gas, mcludmg but not lumted to 
hydrogen gas 
2. Renewably sourced gas. Any gas utility may be authorized, subject to comm1ss10n 
approval m accordance with subsect10n 3, to buy, sell, furnish. transport, store, distribute, 
dispose of or otherwise deal m renewably sourced gas with the same rights, privileges and 
limitations conferred or imposed upon 1t with respect to geologically or conventionally 
solilfced natural gas and withm the same territorial limitations w1thm which it is authorized 
to deal m manufactured gas 
3. Commission approval. A gas utihty may petition the commiss10n to utilize 
renewably sourced gas m accordance with subsection 2 The commiss10n may authonze 
the use of renewably sourced gas upon a findmg that 
A The gas utility will ut1hze the renewably sourced gas m a manner that 1s safe and 
reliable, 
B The renewably sourced gas will be provided to customers at a rnst and reasonable 
rate, and 
C Grantmg the authorization may reduce greenhouse gas em1ss10ns and help to meet 
the greenhouse gas emissions reduction levels set forth m Title 38, section 576-A 
Sec. 5. Requests for information; Public Utilities Commission. The Public 
Utilities Commission, after consultation with the Office of the Pubhc Advocate, the 
Governor's Energy Office and the Efficiency Mame Trust, shall ISsue a request for 
mfurmation to appropriate stakeholders, orgamzations or other entities 1dent1fied by the 
comimss10n for the followmg mfonnation 
Whethet there are any reasonable opportunities fot the comm1ss10n to explore and 
consider engagmg m the execution of an energy cost reduction contract or a physical energy 
storage contract m accordance with the prmciples of beneficial electnfication and the 
Mame Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, chapter 19, and 
2. Ident1ficat10n of existmg and near-term replacement energy sources for natural gas 
m commercial and mdustnal uses, mcludmg when the replacement energy sources are 
expected to be available, the cost of those replacement energy sources and the steps needed 
to develop a cost-effective and rehab le supply of such replacement energy sources 
By February 1, 2024, the commission shall submit a report to the Jomt Standmg 
Committee on Energy, Utiht1es and Technology that mcludes a summary of the 1esponses 
the commission received from 1ts request for mformation, any actions the comm1ss1on has 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ;4-" to HP 467, L D 698 
taken, 1f any, as a result of the mfonnation submitted by respondents to the comm1ss1on's 
request for mformat10n and any recommendations The committee may report out a bill to 
the Second Regular Session of the 131 st Legislature ' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbermg any nonconsecutive Part letter or sect10n 
number to read consecutively 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill, which 1s a concept draft It repeals the section of law 
estabhshmg the legislative findmgs m the Maine Energy Cost Reduction Act It requires 
the Pubhc Utihttes Commission to momtor proceedmgs at the Fedeial Eneigy Regulatory 
Commiss10n and mtervene and part1c1pate m those proceedmgs related to mte1 state natural 
gas transm1ss10n capacity m New England and the Northeast that could affect natural gas 
pnces m the State 1f the comm1ss1on belteves that mtervention and part1c1patton will best 
represent the mterests of the State's electnc and gas ratepayers 
The amendment repeals the section of law that prohibits the commission from 
executmg a contract fo1 physical eneigy storage after June 1, 2017 and a contract for energy 
cost reduction after December 31, 2020. 
The amendment provides that a gas utiltty may petition the commission to utilize 
renewably sourced gas, and the commiss10n may authonze the use of renewably sourced 
gas upon a findmg that the utility's proposed use of the renewably sourced gas 1s safe and 
reliable, that its use can be provided to customers at a Just and reasonable rate and that 1t 
may reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet the greenhouse gas emissions reduction 
levels It also defines "renewably sourced gas " 
The amendment requ1res the comm1ss1on to issue a request for mformat10n after 
consultation with the Office of the Public Advocate, the Governor's Energy Office and the 
Efficiency Mame Trust regardmg reasonable opportumt1es for the commission to explore 
and consider engagmg m the execution of an energy cost reduct10n contract or a physical 
energy storage contract The comm1ss1on' s 1 equest for mformation must also seek 
identification of ex1stmg and near-term replacement energy sources for natural gas m 
commercial and mdustrial uses, mcludmg when the replacement energy sources are 
expected to be available, the cost of those replacement energy sources and the steps needed 
to develop a cost-effective and reliable supply of such replacement eneigy somces The 
commission must submit a report to the Jomt Standmg Committee on Energy, Ut1httes and 
Technology by February 1, 2024 that includes a summary of the responses the commission 
received fi om its request for mformation, any actions taken by the comm1ss1on as a i esult 
of the mformatlon received and any recommendations 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved 05/01/23 :tPae 
LD698 
LR 2238(02) 
An Act Directing the Public Utilities Commission to Study the State Natural Gas Supply Pursuant to 
the Maine Energy Cost Reduction Act 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "i' f;1 _ /S'~ 
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology 
/1: L. 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Mmor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Any add1t10nal costs to the Public Ut1hties Comm1ss1on, Governor's Ene1gy Office, Efficiency Mame Trust or the 
Office of the Public Advocate from the prov1s10ns ofthrs b11l are expected to be mmor and can be absorbed w1th1 
ex1stmg budgeted resources 
LR2238(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1