An Act to Reduce Illegal Cannabis Operations by Requiring Permits
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1535
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Sponsors: HAGGAN, PERKINS
Amends: 30-A MRSA §4173, 35-A MRSA §3217

Legislative Document
No. 1535
S.P. 619
In Senate, April 8, 2025
An Act to Reduce Illegal Cannabis Operations by Requiring Permits 
for High Electrical Usage
Reference to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered 
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator HAGGAN of Penobscot.
Cosponsored by Representative PERKINS of Dover-Foxcroft and
Senator: TIMBERLAKE of Androscoggin, Representative: MORRIS of Turner.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  30-A MRSA §4173, sub-§6 is enacted to read:
6.  Permit required.  A permit is required for the installation or upgrade of electrical 
service to a total of 300 amperes or more in a residential building. The ampere ratings of 
all electrical panels must be added together to determine whether the 300-ampere threshold 
in this subsection is met. If the residential building is in a municipality that has provided 
for electrical inspections, the person performing the work must apply to the municipal 
electrical inspector in writing for a permit. If the residential building is not in a municipality 
that has provided for electrical inspections, the person performing the work must apply to 
a state electrical inspector in writing for a permit. A municipal electrical inspector or state 
electrical inspector shall notify the transmission and distribution utility that serves the 
residential building of an application made under this subsection.
Sec. 2.  35-A MRSA §3217, sub-§5 is enacted to read:
5.  Suspicious power use reports.  The following provisions govern the reporting of 
suspicious power use. A consumer-owned transmission and distribution utility and an 
investor-owned transmission and distribution utility shall report to the code enforcement 
or inspection authority of a municipality whenever the transmission and distribution utility 
becomes aware that one of the following events has occurred within that municipality:
A. A 300-ampere or more total service is installed or an existing service is upgraded to 
a 300-ampere or more total service at a residential property, regardless of whether that 
installation or upgrade is a single 300-ampere or more panel or multiple smaller panels 
the sum of which is 300 amperes or more;
B. A transformer malfunctions;
C. A transformer larger than 25 kilovolt-amperes is installed or a transformer is 
upgraded to a transformer larger than 25 kilovolt-amperes for a residential customer;
D. There is a month-to-month increase in power consumption greater than 500% for a 
residential customer; or
E.  Upon investigation, the transmission and distribution utility finds evidence that 
power diversion or theft has occurred by circumventing a residential meter to obtain 
access to service.
The report must include the square footage of the residential property and the reason for 
the power increase, if known to the consumer-owned transmission and distribution utility 
or the investor-owned transmission and distribution utility.
SUMMARY
This bill requires a permit for the installation or upgrade of electrical service to a total 
of 300 amperes or more in a residential building. It also requires a transmission and 
distribution electric utility to report suspicious power use and transmit that report to 
municipal officials when: a 300-ampere or more total service is installed or an existing 
service is upgraded to a 300-ampere or more total service at a residential property, 
regardless of whether that installation or upgrade is a single 300-ampere or more panel or 
multiple smaller panels the sum of which is 300 amperes or more; a transformer 
malfunctions; a transformer larger than 25 kilovolt-amperes is installed or a transformer is 
upgraded to a transformer larger than 25 kilovolt-amperes for a residential customer; there 
is a month-to-month increase in power consumption greater than 500% for a residential 
customer; or the transmission and distribution utility finds evidence that power diversion 
or theft has occurred. The report must state the reason for the power increase if known by 
the transmission and distribution utility.