An Act to Prioritize State Access to Electricity Generated in Canada
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0469
Sponsors: MARTIN, SOBOLESKI
Amends: 35-A MRSA §3131, 35-A MRSA §3132, 35-A MRSA §3132-E, 35-A MRSA §3149

Legislative Document
No. 469
S.P. 207
In Senate, February 11, 2025
An Act to Prioritize State Access to Electricity Generated in Canada 
via High-impact Electric Transmission Lines
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on February 5, 2025.  Referred to the Committee 
on Energy, Utilities and Technology pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MARTIN of Oxford.
Cosponsored by Representative SOBOLESKI of Phillips and
Senators: BENNETT of Oxford, BRADSTREET of Kennebec, CYRWAY of Kennebec, 
HARRINGTON of York, STEWART of Aroostook, Representatives: FOSTER of Dexter, 
SMITH of Palermo.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  35-A MRSA §3131, sub-§4-E is enacted to read:
4-E.  Local consumption standard.  "Local consumption standard" means a 
requirement that at least 50% of the electricity delivered by a high-impact electric 
transmission line into the State will be allocated to and consumed within the State.
Sec. 2.  35-A MRSA §3132, sub-§6-F is enacted to read:
6-F.  High-impact electric transmission line; local consumption standard.  On or 
after December 31, 2026, the commission may not issue a certificate of public convenience 
and necessity approving the construction of a high-impact electric transmission line to 
deliver electricity generated in Canada through this State within the electric grid operated 
by the New England independent system operator unless the high-impact electric 
transmission line meets the local consumption standard.
The commission may issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity approving 
the construction of a high-impact electric transmission line that does not meet the local 
consumption standard if the commission determines that requiring the high-impact electric 
transmission line to meet the local consumption standard would interfere with the reliability 
of the electric grid or regional energy agreements necessary for energy security in the State.
This subsection is repealed December 31, 2031.
Sec. 3.  35-A MRSA §3132-E is enacted to read:
§3132-E.  Local consumption standard required; reporting
1. Local consumption standard required. On or after December 31, 2026, a person 
may not operate a high-impact electric transmission line to deliver electricity generated in 
Canada through this State to other states within the electric grid operated by the New 
England independent system operator unless the high-impact electric transmission line 
meets the local consumption standard.
2. Reporting. A person operating a high-impact electric transmission line that receives 
a certificate of public convenience and necessity in accordance with section 3132, 
subsection 6-F shall file on a quarterly basis with the commission a report that must include, 
but is not limited to, the total amount of electricity delivered to the State through the high-
impact electric transmission line, the total amount of electricity allocated and consumed 
within the State and the total amount of electricity delivered to other states within the 
electric grid operated by the New England independent system operator.
3. Penalty. If the commission finds that a person operating a high-impact electric 
transmission line violates any provision of this section, the commission shall, in an 
adjudicatory proceeding, impose an administrative penalty on the operator of the high-
impact electric transmission line. In determining the amount of an administrative penalty 
under this section, the commission shall consider the factors listed in section 1508-A, 
subsection 2. Each quarter a violation continues constitutes a separate offense. The 
maximum administrative penalty for a violation may not exceed $575,000 or 5% of the 
gross revenue that the operator of the high-impact electric transmission line received from 
the sale of electricity outside of the State during the quarter in which the violation occurred, 
whichever amount is lower. Notwithstanding section 117, subsection 3, administrative 
penalties collected by the commission must be deposited into the Public Utilities 
Commission Energy Affordability Fund.
4. Public Utilities Commission Energy Affordability Fund established. The Public 
Utilities Commission Energy Affordability Fund, referred to in this subsection as "the 
fund," is established as a nonlapsing fund administered by the commission. The fund 
consists of funds that are appropriated by the Legislature, funds received from federal and 
state sources, administrative penalties received by the commission for violations of this 
section and section 3149 and other funds from any public or private source received for use 
for any of the purposes described in this subsection. The fund must be used to provide 
rebates to electricity customers in the State in accordance with rules adopted by the 
commission.
5. Rulemaking. The commission shall adopt rules to implement this section. Rules 
adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter 2‑A.
6. Repeal. This section is repealed December 31, 2031.
Sec. 4.  35-A MRSA §3149 is enacted to read:
§3149.  State development plan
1. Development efforts. The Governor's Energy Office, established in Title 2, section 
9, shall seek to collaborate with other governmental entities, competitive electricity 
providers and transmission and distribution utilities in the State to develop methods to 
encourage the expansion of businesses in the State or the relocation of businesses to the 
State. The office shall identify energy-intensive industries that may benefit from relocating 
to the State and consider options and incentives to encourage economic development, 
which may include electricity rate-related incentives.
2. Report required; transmission and distribution utility and competitive 
electricity provider. No later than December 31, 2027, and annually thereafter, each 
transmission and distribution utility and competitive electricity provider shall submit to the 
commission a report describing the transmission and distribution utility's or competitive 
electricity provider's efforts to collaborate with state and local economic development 
agencies to encourage the expansion of businesses in the State or the relocation of 
businesses to the State, including businesses engaged in energy-intensive industries. The 
report must include specific actions taken or considered by the transmission and 
distribution utility or competitive electricity provider that must include, but are not limited 
to, incentives that reduce costs for electricity customers.
3. Administrative penalties. Notwithstanding section 117, subsection 3, 
administrative penalties imposed by the commission in accordance with section 1508-A 
for violations of this section must be deposited into the Public Utilities Commission Energy 
Affordability Fund established in section 3132-E, subsection 4.
4. Repeal. This section is repealed December 31, 2031.
Sec. 5. Public Utilities Commission report.  No later than December 31, 2030, 
the Public Utilities Commission shall provide a report to the joint standing committee of 
the Legislature having jurisdiction over electricity matters assessing the effect of the local 
consumption standard requirement required in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, 
section 3132-E, subsection 1, including an evaluation of the benefits and costs to electricity 
customers in the State, the effect on regional energy markets and recommendations 
regarding the continuation of the requirement. The report must also include a 
recommendation regarding the activities reported by transmission and distribution utilities 
and competitive electricity providers in accordance with Title 35-A, section 3149, 
subsection 2. After receiving the commission's report, the committee may report out a bill 
related to any recommendations included in the report.
Sec. 6.  Evaluation of local consumption standard requirement.  The Public 
Utilities Commission shall consider the local consumption standard requirement 
established by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 3132-E, subsection 1, and 
develop recommendations for ways in which the cost of electricity may be reduced to 
increase electricity consumption in the State and ensure that the local consumption standard 
is met. By December 31, 2025, the commission shall provide a report to the Joint Standing 
Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology regarding its findings, including any 
recommendations for legislation. The committee may report out a bill related to any 
recommendations included in the report.
Sec. 7.  Rulemaking.  The Public Utilities Commission shall initiate rulemaking to 
adopt rules in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 3132-E no 
later than 90 days after the effective date of this Act.
SUMMARY
This bill prohibits, beginning December 31, 2026, the Public Utilities Commission 
from issuing a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the construction of a high-
impact electric transmission line to deliver electricity generated in Canada to other states 
within the electric grid operated by the New England independent system operator unless 
at least 50% of the electricity delivered to the State will be allocated to and consumed 
within the State. It requires the person operating a high-impact electric transmission line to 
file quarterly reports with the commission and provides that any penalties for 
noncompliance with the requirements of the law are paid into the Public Utilities 
Commission Energy Affordability Fund. The bill requires the commission to review the 
requirement established by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 3132-E, 
subsection 1 and develop recommendations for how the cost of electricity may be reduced 
to increase consumption and ensure that the 50% threshold required by the bill is met. By 
December 31, 2025, the commission must provide a report to the Joint Standing Committee 
on Energy, Utilities and Technology regarding its findings, including any 
recommendations for legislation. 
No later than December 31, 2030, the commission is required to provide a report to the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over electricity matters 
assessing the local consumption standard requirement, including an evaluation of the laws' 
effect on the benefits and costs to electricity customers in the State and on regional energy 
markets. The commission's report must include recommendations regarding the 
continuation of the local consumption standard requirement. The bill includes a provision 
that repeals the laws on December 31, 2031.
The bill also requires that, beginning December 31, 2027, each transmission and 
distribution utility and competitive electricity provider to submit to the commission an 
annual report describing the transmission and distribution utility's or competitive electricity 
provider's efforts to collaborate with state and local economic development agencies to 
encourage the expansion of businesses in the State or the relocation of businesses to the 
State, including specific actions taken or considered by the transmission and distribution 
utility or competitive electricity provider.