Code of Maine Rules › 95 - INDEPENDENT AGENCIES › 648 - EFFICIENCY MAINE TRUST › Chapter 3 - ELECTRIC EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS › Section 648-3-5 - FUNDING

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
The Triennial Plan must identify potential MACE savings and
				  related programs that could be implemented pursuant to
				  35-A
				  M.R.S.A. §10110, the costs and benefits
				  of such programs and the basis and support for such identified costs and
				  benefits. The trust shall conduct an evaluation of the MACE potential for
				  electrical energy efficiency savings and beneficial electrification in the
				  State at least once every three years.
The Trust shall propose the utility procurement order to be
				  assessed on transmission and distribution utilities necessary to pay for the
				  Trust's portfolio of conservation and beneficial electrification programs and
				  administrative costs associated with implementing the conservation programs to
				  achieve the MACE savings in the Trust's Triennial Plan.
A.
Funds held in trust.
All
				funds collected from electricity consumers pursuant to
				35-A
				M.R.S.A. §10110 are collected under the
				authority and for the purposes of this section and are deemed to be held in
				trust for the purposes of benefiting electricity consumers.
B.
Budgets for procurement of MACE
				resources; cap on procurement amount
. The Trust's Triennial Plan shall
				propose programs and an associated budget that is sufficient to procure MACE
				resources on behalf of electric utility ratepayers, except that the Trust shall
				not propose the inclusion in rates under this subsection of a total amount that
				exceeds 4% of total retail electricity and transmission and distribution sales
				in the State as determined by the Commission. In preparing the Triennial Plan
				for submission to the Commission, the Trust shall consider gross efficiency
				savings for the purpose of determining savings that are cost-effective,
				reliable and achievable and shall consider both net and gross efficiency
				savings for the purpose of determining the appropriateness of the amount
				identified by the Trust in its Triennial Plan as needed to capture all cost
				effective electric energy efficiency resources.
C.
Inclusion of procurement budgets in
				rates
. When determining the amount of cost effective electric energy
				efficiency resources, including beneficial electrification, to be procured
				under this subsection and included in electric utility rates, the Trust shall:
1. Consider electric energy efficiency
				resources that are reasonably foreseeable to be acquired by the Trust using all
				other sources of revenue, including, but not limited to, the Regional
				Greenhouse Gas Initiative Trust Fund under section 10109;
2. Ensure that calculations of avoided energy
				costs and the budget identified by the Trust in its Triennial Plan as needed to
				capture all cost-effective electric energy efficiency resources are reasonable,
				based on sound evidence and make use of best practices across the
				region;
3. Maximize total
				electricity savings for all ratepayers;
4. Include all beneficial electrification
				measures that are cost-effective and reliably reduce electricity rates over the
				life of the measures.