# Maine LD 1270: An Act to Establish the Department of Energy Resources Maine LD 1270, An Act to Establish the Department of Energy Resources, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Walter Runte (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-07-01 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 476); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1270-132 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maine LD 1270 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Establish the Department of Energy Resources - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-03-25 - Last action: 2025-07-01, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 476 - Sponsor: Walter Runte (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 7 - Subjects: ELECTRIC UTILITIES, ELECTRIC UTILITIES - PLANNING - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (189 yes, 172 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 15 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Regular state energy plan and security: benefit, high. The department must file a statewide energy plan by January 15 of every odd-numbered year, with public input. It must collect and study energy supply, demand, and cost data with other agencies. It monitors transmission planning and recommends law or rule changes as needed. It prepares a state energ… - Limits on ratepayer funds for solar: benefit, medium. Ratepayer money generally cannot be used to run the Distributed Solar and Energy Storage Program or to fund its projects. The law allows only the listed exceptions. This protects utility customers from being charged for most program costs. - Push to electrify and cut bills: benefit, medium. The utilities commission must promote beneficial electrification to lower energy costs and help meet the state’s climate goals. The commission can transfer money to the Efficiency Maine Trust to carry out a three‑year electrification plan or to cover renewable procurement costs. When money is trans… - Grants for local solar and batteries: benefit, medium. The state creates a program to fund distributed solar and energy storage, designed to bring in federal money. The department must apply for federal funds, including EPA greenhouse‑gas reduction funds, and run the program as funding allows. The department may buy energy or renewable credits from pro… - Stronger tracking of home heating fuel: benefit, medium. The department monitors petroleum inventories, deliveries, curtailments, and shortfalls statewide. Owners or lessees of primary storage must report inventories on the first and third Monday of each month and list expected deliveries for the next 15 days or longer if set. Primary suppliers must repo… - New energy department jobs and pay: benefit, low. The law sets the Commissioner of Energy Resources in salary range 91 and the Deputy in range 88. It classifies the Deputy Commissioner as a major policy role. Three Public Service Coordinator II jobs and their operating costs move from the Governor’s Energy Office to the new department. These chang… - Clean energy voice added to tech board: benefit, low. One at‑large seat on the state’s technology board must go to someone with clean energy finance or technology expertise. This adds a clean‑energy voice to board decisions. - Energy office moves into new department: benefit, low. The Department of Energy Resources replaces the Governor’s Energy Office. All existing GEO rules and contracts stay in effect until changed. On the effective date, GEO records, property, and equipment move to the new department, and unobligated coastal program balances transfer to the department. T… - New state energy department and leader rules: benefit, low. The law creates a cabinet-level Department of Energy Resources as Maine’s energy office. The Governor appoints the commissioner, and anyone serving on or after December 15, 2025 must wait one year after leaving before working on bids to the department. The department advises other agencies on state… - State boards add clean‑energy voices: benefit, low. The Maine Technology Institute board now has 13 voting and 3 nonvoting members, and the Energy Resources Commissioner joins as a nonvoting member. One at‑large board seat must have natural resource expertise, not two. A commissioner seat now requires expertise in residential energy efficiency and s… - Better pay and training on projects: mixed, medium. On in‑state assisted energy projects, construction contracts must pay at least the state’s prevailing wage and meet safety and apprenticeship rules. The state updates how it sets prevailing wages using union, survey, and certified payroll data and limits any yearly decrease to no more than 15%. The… - Align energy policy with climate goals: mixed, medium. The department must align energy goals and plans with Maine’s greenhouse gas laws. It works with the utilities commission and Efficiency Maine to set targets and rules for beneficial electrification. It must also make a plan to cut statewide oil use at least 30% from 2007 by 2030 and 50% by 2050. T… - Clean energy bids with ratepayer guardrails: mixed, medium. Beginning January 15, 2027, the department runs competitive bids for clean energy every two years as needed. It can only pick bids that give ratepayers more benefit than cost. All RFPs go to the Public Utilities Commission for approval, and the Commission has 120 days to act and must set review rul… - New rules for clean energy buys: mixed, medium. The department must start a major clean energy procurement by January 15, 2026. In any two‑year period, total purchases cannot exceed 15% of the average annual statewide retail electricity sales from the prior two years. Standard contract terms are capped at 20 years unless the utilities commission… - Energy research grants with spending checks: mixed, low. The department creates the Maine Energy Resources Development Program to support energy research and demonstrations. The program runs as funding allows, and the commissioner may accept private funds. For program spending of $10,000 or more, the commissioner must get the Governor’s approval, then le… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Walter Runte (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Christopher Kessler (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kilton Webb (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mark W. Lawrence (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Melanie Sachs (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Richard A. Bennett (Independent), Senate - Cosponsor: Sophia Warren (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Valli Geiger (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-06-18 | Senate | ACCEPT MAJORITY OUGHT TO PASS AS AMENDED REPORT | pass | 19 | 15 | | | 2025-06-17 | Senate | ACCEPT MAJORITY OUGHT TO PASS AS AMENDED REPORT | fail | 16 | 19 | | | 2025-06-17 | House | ADOPT HAH-771 TO CAH-746 | pass | 77 | 69 | | | 2025-06-17 | House | ACC MAJ OTP AS AMENDED REP | pass | 77 | 69 | | ## Actions (10) - 2025-07-01: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 476 - 2025-06-25: On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin taken from the Special Appropriations Table PASSED TO BE ENACTED in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-06-18: On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin PLACED ON THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS TABLE pending ENACTMENT in concurrence (Senate) - 2025-06-18: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-06-18: Taken from the table by the President Subsequently The Majority Ought to Pass As Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-746) Report ACCEPTED PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 626 Yeas 19 - Nays 15 - Excused 1 - Absent 0 READ ONCE Committee Amendment "A" (H-746) READ House Amendment "A" (H-771) to Committee Amendment "A" (H-746) READ and ADOPTED Committee Amendment "A" (H-746) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-771) thereto ADOPTED Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (H-746) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-771) thereto in concurrence (Senate) - 2025-06-17: Reports ReadMotion by Senator LAWRENCE of York to ACCEPT the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report FAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 616 Yeas 16 - Nays 19 - Excused 0 - Absent 0 On motion by Same Senator the Senate RECONSIDERED their actions whereby The Majority Ought to Pass As Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-746) Report FAILED. On further motion by Same Senator Tabled until Later in Today's Session, pending ACCEPTANCE of The Majority Ought to Pass As Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-746) Report in concurrence. Unfinished Business (Senate) - 2025-06-17: Speaker laid before the HouseSubsequently, on motion of Representative RUNTE of York, House Amendment "A" (H-771) to Committee Amendment "A" (H-746) was READ and ADOPTED.ROLL CALL NO. 561(Yeas 77 - Nays 69 - Absent 3 - Excused 2)Committee Amendment "A" (H-746) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-771) thereto was ADOPTED. Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-746) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-771) thereto.Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-06-17: Reports READ.On motion of Representative RUNTE of York, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.ROLL CALL NO. 536(Yeas 77 - Nays 69 - Absent 3 - Excused 2)The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-746) was READ.On motion of Representative SACHS of Freeport, TABLED pending ADOPTION of Committee Amendment "A" (H-746) Later today assigned. (House) - 2025-03-25: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on ENERGY, UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY in concurrence (Senate) - 2025-03-25: Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered printed. The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on ENERGY, UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY.Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (H-746), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0845&item=2&snum=132) - Amendment H-A to C-A (H-771), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0845&item=3&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0845&item=5&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0845&item=1&snum=132) ## Related bills - LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed) - LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families (failed) - LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (failed) - LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (failed) - LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees (failed) - LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit (failed) ## Sources - [Amendment C-A (H-746), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0845&item=2&snum=132) - [Amendment H-A to C-A (H-771), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0845&item=3&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0845&item=5&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0845&item=1&snum=132) ## Related - [LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1522-132) - [LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1665-132) - [LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1872-132) - [LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132) - [LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1611-132) - [LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1294-132) - [Maine bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine/bills) - [Maine state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1270-132 (as of 2026-10-17).