An Act to Require Competitive Electricity Providers to Provide
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0860
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Sponsors: SACHS, LAWRENCE
Amends: 35-A MRSA §1702, 35-A MRSA §1708

Legislative Document
No. 860
H.P. 546
House of Representatives, March 4, 2025
An Act to Require Competitive Electricity Providers to Provide 
Certain Information to the Public Advocate
(EMERGENCY)
Submitted by the Office of the Public Advocate pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Reference to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SACHS of Freeport.
Cosponsored by Senator LAWRENCE of York and
Representatives: FOSTER of Dexter, GEIGER of Rockland, KESSLER of South Portland, 
MCINTYRE of Lowell, RUNTE of York, WADSWORTH of Hiram, WARREN of 
Scarborough, WEBB of Durham.
Emergency preamble.  Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, there is an immediate need to determine whether competitive electricity 
providers are disproportionately burdening low-income households in Maine with 
unaffordable prices; and
Whereas, delay in the implementation of this legislation would cause significant harm 
to Maine electricity ratepayers who are customers of competitive electricity providers; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  35-A MRSA §1702, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2021, c. 659, §13, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Review and recommendations.  The Public Advocate may review, investigate and 
make appropriate recommendations to the commission or the Legislature with respect to:
A.  The reasonableness of rates charged or proposed to be charged by any public utility 
or competitive electricity provider;
B.  The reasonableness and adequacy of the service furnished or proposed to be 
furnished by any public utility or competitive electricity provider;
C.  Any proposal by a public utility to reduce or abandon service to the public;
D.  The issuance of certificates of public convenience and necessity. Recommendations 
may include alternative analyses and plans as necessary;
E.  Terms and conditions of public utilities;
F.  Mergers and consolidations of public utilities;
G.  Contracts of public utilities with affiliates or subsidiaries; and
H.  Securities, regulations and transactions of public utilities.
Sec. 2.  35-A MRSA §1708, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. A, §6, is amended 
to read:
§1708.  Information from utilities and competitive electricity providers
Utilities and competitive electricity providers shall provide to the Public Advocate 
copies of all reports and other information required to be filed with or which that may be 
submitted to the commission, except to the extent that this requirement is waived, in 
writing, by the Public Advocate.  The Public Advocate has the same right to request data 
as an intervenor in a proceeding before the commission, and, in addition, may petition the 
commission for good cause shown to be allowed such other information as may be 
necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
Sec. 3. Office of the Public Advocate report. The Office of the Public Advocate 
may prepare a report and submit it by December 3, 2025 to the Joint Standing Committee 
on Energy, Utilities and Technology regarding rates and business practices of competitive 
electricity providers. After receiving a report under this section, the committee may report 
out legislation relating to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill requires competitive electricity providers to provide the Public Advocate 
copies of reports and other information required to be filed with the Public Utilities 
Commission.
The bill also allows the Public Advocate to make recommendations to the commission 
or the Legislature, including the reasonableness of rates charged by a public utility or 
competitive electricity provider.