Code of Maine Rules › 65 - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION › 407 - PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION › Chapter 301 - STANDARD OFFER SERVICE › Section 407-301-2 - Rates, Charges and Procedures for Initiating and Terminating Standard Offer Service

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A.
Rates and
				Rate Schedules
1.
Establishment
				and Filing of Rates
Rates for standard offer service shall be established,
				  maintained and modified pursuant to the provisions of this subsection and the
				  bidding and selection processes of section
				  8. Rates for standard offer service
				  shall be available for public inspection at the Commission's office, and at the
				  office maintained by the transmission and distribution utility in whose service
				  territory the standard offer providers are authorized to provide
				  service.
2.
Standard
				Offer Classes
a.
Investor-Owned
				Transmission and Distribution Utility Service Territories
Unless otherwise specified in the request for standard offer
				  bids issued pursuant to section
				  8 of this Chapter, for each
				  investor-owned transmission and distribution utility service territory there
				  shall be the following three standard offer classes:
i.
Residential and small
				non-residential
. This standard offer class shall contain customers
				taking service as residential customers under the terms and conditions of the
				transmission and distribution utility and non-residential customers that are
				taking service under a core customer class rate schedule of the transmission
				and distribution utility that does not include a demand charge. Residential and
				small non-residential customers include customers that are not taking service
				under a core customer class rate schedule, but would be eligible to take
				service as a residential customer or as a non-residential customer from a core
				customer class rate schedule that does not include a demand charge.
ii.
Medium
				non-residential
.
This standard offer class shall
				contain non-residential customers that are taking service under a core customer
				class rate schedule of the transmission and distribution utility that includes
				a demand charge and in which a customer's maximum demand shall not exceed 500
				kW, or the kW breakpoint that is closest to but does not exceed 500 kW. Medium
				non-residential customers include customers that are not taking service under a
				core customer class rate schedule, but are eligible to take service from a core
				customer rate schedule that includes a demand charge and a maximum demand limit
				that does not exceed 500 kW, or the kW breakpoint that is closest to but does
				not exceed 500 kW.
iii.
Large
				non-residential
. This standard offer class shall contain non-residential
				customers that are not small non-residential or medium non-residential
				customers.
b.
Consumer-Owned Transmission and Distribution Utility Service
				Territories
For each consumer-owned transmission and distribution utility
				  service territory there may be, at the utility's option, a single standard
				  offer service class that shall contain all customers in the service territory
				  of the consumer-owned transmission and distribution utility or the three
				  standard offer classes specified in section
				  2(A)(2).
3.
Rate
				Structure
For the residential and small non-residential standard offer
				  class and for all standard offer service in a consumer-owned utility service
				  territory with a single standard offer class, the standard offer rate shall be
				  an amount per kWh that does not vary by level of usage, or by time of year or
				  day. The rate structure shall not include any demand charges nor any amounts
				  charged on a per customer or fixed-charge basis.
For the medium and large non-residential standard offer
				  classes, the rate structure may include demand and kWh charges and may reflect
				  seasonal and time-of-day differentiation. The time-of-day differentiation must
				  be compatible with the transmission and distribution utility's core rate
				  structure for customers in the standard offer class. The rate structure for the
				  medium and large non-residential standard offer classes shall not include any
				  amounts charged on a per customer or fixed-charge basis.
4.
Division of Load; Averaged
				Rates
If the Commission selects more than one standard offer
				  provider for a standard offer class within a transmission and distribution
				  utility's service territory, each standard offer provider shall be responsible
				  for a specified portion of the total standard offer requirement of the class.
				  Rates for the standard offer class and for each rate element within the
				  standard offer class shall be equal to the weighted average of the rates of all
				  standard offer providers selected for the class . Customers shall not be
				  assigned to a specified standard offer provider.
5.
Geographic Averaging of Rates
Rates, terms and conditions for standard offer service shall
				  not vary within the transmission and distribution utility's service territory
				  on the basis of customer location.
6.
Charges for Billing and
				Administration
The transmission and distribution utility shall charge the
				  standard offer provider(s) the utility's incremental costs of administering
				  standard offer service, including providing basic bill issuance, bill
				  calculation, and collections. These charges shall be consistent with Chapter
				  322 of the Commission's Rules.