Opinion ID: 1952965
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Effect of the Law Court's Dismissal of the Appeal from the Commission's January 8 Order

Text: [¶ 10] Bangor Hydro contends that this appeal is untimely with regard to the issue addressed in the Commission's January 8 order because the order was a final determination of the potentially dispositive issue of the Commission's interpretation of section 3206-A(2), and the present appeal was not filed within 21 days of the January 8 order. See M.R.App. P. 2(b)(3). Competitive Energy and the Public Advocate respond that because the January 8 order merely decided a threshold legal issue concerning the Restructuring Act, their appeal from the March 21 order is the proper vehicle to challenge the Commission's interpretation of section 3206-A(2), even though the March 21 order does not address the issue. [¶ 11] When an order by the Commission decides some general questions of law and fact, but leaves open future actions by the Commission and does not approve specific requests, the order is not a final judgment. Mech. Falls Water Co. v. Pub. Utils. Comm'n, 381 A.2d 1080, 1087 (Me.1977). A final judgment lies `in its effect in concluding the rights of the party appealing; if his rights are concluded so that further proceedings after the ruling cannot affect them, there is a final judgment.' Murphy v. Maddaus, 2002 ME 24, ¶ 13, 789 A.2d 1281, 1285 (quoting Hazzard v. Westview Golf Club, Inc., 217 A.2d 217, 222-23 (Me.1966)). When an appeal is made from a final judgment, any claim of error in the record is subject to appellate review. M.R.App. P. 2(b)(4). [¶ 12] Applying the Mechanic Falls criteria, the January 8 order is not a final judgment because it approved none of the specific requests in Bangor Hydro's December 5 petition and left open the issue as to whether the Commission would (1) grant permission to Bangor Hydro to reorganize and affiliate with EES, and (2) approve the Lease Agreement. Instead, the January 8 order merely decided one question of law: whether section 3206-A(2) prohibits Bangor Hydro from affiliating itself with a competitive electricity provider in Maine. Because the January 8 order decided a threshold legal issue and is part of the record of this appeal, the issue of whether section 3206-A(2) prohibits Bangor Hydro from affiliating with a competitive electricity provider in Maine may be addressed in this appeal.