2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 35-A: PUBLIC UTILITIES › Part 3: ELECTRIC POWER › Chapter 34-C: DISTRIBUTED GENERATION › 35-A §3483. Timely interconnection.

§3483. Timely interconnection.
A standard buyer designated pursuant to this section shall aggregate the output of the portfolio of distributed generation resources procured pursuant to this chapter and sell or use the output of the resources in a manner that maximizes the value of the portfolio of the resources to all ratepayers.   [PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).]
1.  Designation of standard buyer.
Each investor‑owned transmission and distribution utility serves as the standard buyer in its service territory, except that the commission may designate another entity to serve as the standard buyer if the commission determines that the designation is in the best interest of customers in the service territory. The commission shall oversee the activities of the standard buyer to ensure compliance with this chapter.
[PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).]
2.  Obligations of standard buyer.
A standard buyer shall:
A. Serve as counterparty to long‑term contracts with project sponsors pursuant to section 3486;   [PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).]
B. If the standard buyer is not an investor‑owned transmission and distribution utility, reimburse an investor‑owned transmission and distribution utility for any bill credit or payment to a subscriber or project sponsor pursuant to section 3486;   [PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).]
C. Establish reasonable measurement and verification requirements for distributed generation resources;   [PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).]
D. Provide information needed to allocate costs and benefits pursuant to subsection 3; and   [PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).]
E. Provide aggregate data regarding the output of distributed generation resources pursuant to sections 3485 and 3486.   [PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).]
3.  Standard buyer cost allocation.
The commission and each standard buyer designated pursuant to subsection 1 shall implement a transparent mechanism to track and recover or distribute the eligible costs and benefits under this subsection incurred by procuring distributed generation resources pursuant to this chapter. These eligible costs and benefits must be reviewed by the commission annually and allocated to and recovered from customers of the investor‑owned transmission and distribution utility in whose territory the distributed generation resource is located through a process established by rule of the commission. The process established by the commission must be similar to the allocation of costs and benefits of long‑term energy contracts in section 3210‑F. Eligible costs and benefits include:
A. Incremental costs of serving as the standard buyer;   [PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).]
B. All payments or bill credits to customers, subscribers and project sponsors under each procurement pursuant to sections 3485 and 3486; and   [PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).]
C. All revenue from sale of the output of distributed generation resources procured pursuant to this chapter.   [PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).]
4.  Entities other than the standard buyer.
The commission shall ensure that the rules and procedures established under this chapter provide opportunities for entities other than the standard buyer to aggregate and sell the output of distributed generation resources in the applicable markets.
[PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).