An Act to Enhance
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1726
Committee Amendment CA_A_H438 (House)
Amends: 2 MRSA §9, 35-A MRSA §3147

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1153, L.D. 1726, "An Act to Enhance 
the Coordination and Effectiveness oflntegrated Distribution Grid Planning" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 2 MRSA §9, sub-§3, tJD-1 is enacted to read: 
D-1. When possible, seek to ensure consistency in energy planning and analysis, 
including, but not limited to, through the use, in all energy planning and analysis 
conducted by the office, of an energy forecasting method consistent with the method 
used by the office in preparing the comprehensive state energy plan as required by 
paragraph C. The office shall ensure that the energy forecasting methodology used in 
preparing the comprehensive state energy plan is made available for use by other state 
agencies: 
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §3147, sub-§1, 1A-1 is enacted to read: 
A-1. "Advanced conductor" means an electrical conductor that has a direct current 
electrical resistance at least 10% lower than existing conductors of a similar diameter 
on the electric system. 
Sec. 3. 35-A MRSA §3147, sub-§1, 18-1 is enacted to read: 
B-1. 
"Grid-enhancing technology" has the same meaning as in section 3148, 
subsection 1, paragraph A. 
Sec. 4. 35-A MRSA §3147, sub-§4, tJD, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 702, §8, is 
amended to read: 
D. Include, at a minimum, the following: 
(1) Forecasts of projected load, including forecasts of end-use electrification, 
energy efficiency and distributed energy resources and, when appropriate, 
consideration of the energy forecasting method used to prepare the comprehensive 
state energy plan required pursuant to Title 2, section 9, subsection 3, paragraph C; 
Page l - 132LR0881(02) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT A 
"to H.P. 1153, L.D. 1726 
(2) Baseline energy supply data and assessments, including but not limited to 
planned generation retirements; new generation that is planned or needed, 
including generation of electricity from renewable sources; and energy storage 
installations; 
(3) Analysis of hosting capacity, including locational benefits of distributed 
energy resources and areas of existing or potential system congestion; 
(4) Analysis of available and emerging technologies necessary to enable load 
management and flexibility and those technologies necessary to improve efficiency 
and reliability of and reduce congestion of the grid. including. but not limited to. 
the use of advanced conductors and grid-enhancing technologies, taking into 
consideration the commission's review pursuant to section 3148; 
(5) An assessment of the environmental, equity and environmental justice impacts 
of grid plans; and 
(6) An identification of cost-effective near-term grid investments and operations 
needed to achieve the priorities identified in subsection 2; and 
(7) Consideration of the use of low-voltage sensors to improve grid monitoring 
capacity, including data related to grid power quality, transfotmer status and 
distributed energy resource capacity by location; and 
Sec. 5. 35-A MRSA §3147, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 702, §8, is amended 
by amending the first blocked paragraph to read: 
The commission shall make the filing for each covered utility available for public comment 
for a period of no less than 60 days. The commission may order a covered utility to revise 
the filing to address any deficiencies. The commission may use the filing and the input 
received from interested parties in rate cases or other proceedings involving the covered 
utility. In a competitive solicitation conducted by the commission, the commission may 
use the filings submitted pursuant to this subsection to develop requests for proposals, 
evaluate bids and negotiate agreements in order to optimize grid capacity. 
Sec. 6. Assessment of nonwires alternative process, In consultation with the 
Efficiency Maine Trust and the Office of the Public Advocate, the Public Utilities 
Commission shall conduct a review of the nonwires alternative investigation and 
recommendation process established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 
3132-C. The commission's review must assess the efficiency of that process and consider 
how that process is incorporated into integrated grid plan filings submitted by large 
investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities in accordance with the requirements 
established by Title 35-A, section 3147, The review must include the oppo1tunity for 
stakeholders to provide comments to the commission. The commission shall develop 
recommendations for 
changes to 
the 
nonwires 
alternative 
investigation 
and 
recommendation process based on its review, which may include recommended legislation 
to better integrate nonwires alternatives into the requirements for grid plan filings. By 
March 1, 2026, the commission shall provide a report of its recommendations to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. The committee may report out 
a bill related to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature. 
Sec. 7. Flexible interconnection; evaluation; reports. The Public Utilities 
Commission shall explore and evaluate the feasibility of adopting emerging flexible 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
;~o'=' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1153, L.D. 1726 
interconnection options in order to use distributed energy resources, increase grid capacity, 
decrease grid instability and reduce costs in achieving state goals related to clean energy, 
including energy storage and beneficial electrification. In exploring and evaluating flexible 
interconnection options, the commission shall: 
1. Review potential practices for providing flexible interconnection options; 
2. Engage with stakeholders, including members of the interconnection working group 
established pursuant to Public Law 2023, chapter 307, section 8; 
3. Identify any barriers to adopting flexible interconnection options; 
4. Identify ways in which customers seeking connection might benefit from flexible 
interconnection prncesses; and 
5. 
Determine whether the costs of flexible 
interconnection may 
affect 
noninterconnecting customers and how that may be mitigated. 
By February 15, 2026, the commission shall submit an initial report summarizing the 
commission's activities under this section to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, 
Utilities and Technology. After reviewing the initial report, the committee may report out 
a bill relating to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature. By 
February 15, 2027, the commission shall submit a final report to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy and utility matters that 
includes the commission's evaluation of flexible interconnection options, along with any 
recommendations. After reviewing the final report, the committee may rep~ni out a bill 
related to the repoti to the 133rd Legislature in 2027. 
Sec. 8. Effective date. Those sections of this Act that enact the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 3 5-A, section 314 7, subsection 1, paragraphs A-1 and B-1 and that amend 
Title 35-A, section 3147, subsection 4 take effect February 1, 2026.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Pa1i letter or section 
number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill. It does the following. 
1. It requires the Governor's Energy Office to seek to ensure consistency in energy 
planning and analysis, including thrnugh the use of an energy forecasting method consistent 
with the method used by the office in preparing the comprehensive state energy plan. 
2. It requires grid plans filed by ce1iain transmission and distribution utilities to, when 
appropriate, consider the energy forecasting method used to prepare the comprehensive 
state energy plan. It also specifies that available and emerging technologies, which must 
be analyzed in the grid plan filing, include the use of advanced conductors and grid-
enhancing technologies, and the amendment defines these tenns. The amendment also 
requires that utility grid plan filings include consideration of the use of low-voltage sensors 
to imprnve grid monitoring capacity, These changes to the grid plan filing requirements 
take effect February 1, 2026. 
3, It allows the Public Utilities Commission, in a competitive solicitation, to use grid 
plan filings to develop requests for proposals, evaluate bids and negotiate agreements in 
order to optimize grid capacity, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 1153, L.D. 1726 
4. It requires the commission, in consultation with the Efficiency Maine Trust and the 
Office of the Public Advocate, to conduct a review of the nonwires altemative investigation 
and recommendation process established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 
3132-C. By March 1, 2026, the commission must provide a report ofits recommendations 
to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. 
5. It requires the commission to explore and evaluate the feasibility of adopting 
emerging flexible interconnection options in order to use distributed energy resources, 
increase grid capacity, decrease grid instability and reduce costs. By February 15, 2026, 
the commission must submit an initial repo1t summarizing the commission's activities and, 
by February 15, 2027, the commission must submit a final repo1t to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy and utility matters. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/21/25 L-RL-
LD 1726 
LR 881(02) 
An Act to Enhance the Coordination and Effectiveness of Integrated Distribution Grid Planning 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment A, ( H.-- ~3l) 
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Any additional costs to the Public Utilities Connnission or the Governor's Energy Office from the provisions of this 
bill are expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR0881(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1