Title 35-A

1. Right to purchase generation. Beginning on March 1, 2000, all consumers of electricity have the right to purchase generation services directly from competitive electricity providers, except as provided in subsection 7. 2. Deregulation of generation services. Except as otherwis…

1. Authority. In order to provide effective competition in the market for the generation and sale of electricity in the State, the commission shall license competitive electricity providers in accordance with this section. 2. Requirements. A competitive electricity provider may n…

1. Divestiture required; exceptions. Except as provided in subsection 3, on or before March 1, 2000, each investor-owned electric utility shall divest all generation assets and generation-related business activities other than any: A. Contract with a qualifying facility, contract…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Affiliated competitive provider" means a competitive electricity provider whose relationship with a large investor-owned transmission and distribu…

1. Small utilities; limitations. Pursuant to the requirements of this section, on and after the beginning of retail access, an affiliated interest of a small investor-owned transmission and distribution utility may sell retail generation service to retail consumers of electricity…

1. Penalties. The commission shall require an investor-owned transmission and distribution utility to divest an affiliated competitive provider if the commission determines in an adjudicatory proceeding that: A. The distribution utility or an affiliated competitive provider has k…

1. Consumer-owned utilities; limitations. Consumer-owned transmission and distribution utilities: A. May sell retail generation service only within their respective service territories, and are authorized to purchase electric power and energy at wholesale, provided that the consu…

1. Stranded costs defined. For the purposes of this section, the term "stranded costs" means a utility's legitimate, verifiable and unmitigable costs made unrecoverable as a result of the restructuring of the electric industry required by this chapter and determined by the commis…

The commission shall set charges and rates collected by transmission and distribution utilities in accordance with this section. [PL 1997, c. 316, §3 (NEW).] 1. Applicable law. The design of rate recovery for the collection of transmission and distribution costs, stranded costs a…

The commission may adopt or amend rules governing net energy billing. Rules adopted or amended under this section are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A. [PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. A, §3 (AMD).] 1. Definitions. As used in this section, the follo…

The commission shall establish by rule, in accordance with this section, a net energy billing program for commercial and institutional customers of investor‑owned utilities. [PL 2019, c. 478, Pt. A, §4 (NEW).] 1. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms have the …

The commission shall ensure that benefits of distributed generation under net energy billing are reported and net energy billing costs are allocated in accordance with this section. [PL 2023, c. 411, §5 (NEW).] 1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Distributed generation resource" means an electric generating facility that uses a renewable fuel or technology under section 3210, subsection 2, paragraph B‑3, is located in the service…

1. Net energy billing project charge defined. As used in this section, "net energy billing project charge" means a monthly fee determined by the commission by rule in accordance with this section that a transmission and distribution utility must use to offset distribution costs a…

1. Adjustment of net energy billing cost rate year. The commission shall require a transmission and distribution utility to reconcile costs associated with net energy billing under sections 3209‑A and 3209‑B, as determined by the commission, in a rate year to begin on January 1st…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Distributed generation resource" has the same meaning as in section 3209‑A, subsection 1, paragraph B. [PL 2025, c. 430, §11 (NEW).] B. "Eligible resource" means a distributed generation…

1. Front of meter distributed energy resource defined. As used in this section, "front of the meter distributed energy resource" means an electric generating facility that uses a renewable fuel or technology under section 3210, subsection 2, paragraph B‑3, is located in the servi…

1. Fund established. There is established the Net Energy Billing Cost Stabilization Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," as an account within the commission. The fund is a nonlapsing, revolving fund administered by the commission for the purpose of offsetting the cost…

1. Policy. In order to ensure an adequate and reliable supply of electricity for Maine residents and to encourage the use of renewable, clean, efficient and indigenous resources, it is the policy of this State to encourage the generation of electricity from renewable, clean and e…

1. Standard-offer service provider purchase requirement. In accordance with rules adopted pursuant to this section, the commission, at the request of the owner or operator of a generator with a capacity of 5 megawatts or less, shall: A. If the generator is located in an area of t…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Capacity resource" means any renewable capacity resource, nonrenewable capacity resource, clean resource or interruptible, demand response or ener…

The commission shall adopt by rule a long-term plan for electric resource adequacy for this State to ensure grid reliability and the provision or availability of electricity to consumers at the lowest cost. [PL 2005, c. 677, Pt. C, §1 (NEW).] After final adoption of rules under t…

1. Discount rates. Transmission and distribution utilities may offer discounted rates to qualified Pine Tree Development Zone businesses established under Title 30‑A and qualified businesses with respect to the Dirigo business incentives program established under Title 36, sectio…

The commission shall ensure that all eligible costs and benefits associated with a long-term contract are allocated to ratepayers in accordance with this section. [PL 2025, c. 555, §5 (AMD).] 1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the fol…

The commission shall direct investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities to enter into one or more contracts for energy or renewable energy credits from Class IA resources in accordance with this section. Customers who have made an election pursuant to section 3210, sub…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Floating offshore wind research array project" or "research array" means a project undertaken by an entity to develop a floating offshore wind ene…

1. Program established. The Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program, referred to in this section as "the program," is established to remove obstacles to the use of and to promote development of the substantial renewable energy resources in northern Maine. As used in t…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Combined project" means an eligible Class IA resource paired and collocated with an energy storage system connected to the State's electricity gri…

The commission shall direct investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities to enter into one or more contracts for energy or renewable energy credits from eligible Class IA resources in accordance with this section. [PL 2025, c. 392, §7 (NEW).] 1. Definition. As used in t…

The commission shall direct investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities to enter into one or more contracts for energy from eligible projects in accordance with this section. [PL 2025, c. 766, §6 (NEW).] 1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context other…

Except as provided in subsection 6, when retail access begins, the commission shall ensure that standard-offer service is available to all consumers of electricity. [PL 1997, c. 638, §1 (AMD).] 1. Establishment of terms and conditions. The commission shall open a rule-making proc…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Green power supply" means electricity or renewable energy credits or clean energy credits for electricity generated from renewable capacity resour…

1. Policy. In order to meet legitimate needs of electricity consumers who are unable to pay their electricity bills in full and who satisfy eligibility criteria for assistance, and recognizing that electricity is a basic necessity to which all residents of the State should have a…

1. Authority. Without limiting the commission's authority under any other provision of law, the commission may: A. Intervene and participate in proceedings at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the United States Department of Energy and o…

1. Annual restructuring report. 2. Proposed changes. If the commission determines, after providing interested parties an opportunity to be heard, that any provision in this chapter is not in the public interest, the commission shall present a report to the joint standing committe…

1. Definition. For the purposes of this section, "solar energy equipment" means all controls, tanks, pumps, heat exchangers, collectors and other equipment necessary for the collection, transfer and storage of solar energy. "Solar energy equipment" includes photovoltaic modules, …

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Community choice aggregation program" means a program through which a municipality or group of municipalities located in the service territory of …

The Legislature finds that it is in the best interest of the State to reduce the State's dependence upon fossil fuels for its energy needs. It is necessary to diversify energy producing systems and energy sources to ensure an adequate and reliable supply of energy for Maine citiz…

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. A, §6 (NEW).] 1. Associate. "Associate" means any person other than a transmission and distribution utility that substantially participates in t…

1. Authorized markets for electricity. 2. Use of electricity by the producer or cogenerator. Any small power producer or cogenerator may generate or distribute electricity through that producer's or cogenerator's private property solely for that producer's or cogenerator's own us…

1. Rate. The small power producer or cogenerator and the transmission and distribution utility shall determine the rate paid by the transmission and distribution utility for the purchase of electricity as described in this section. 2. Small power producer or cogenerator and publi…

1. Establishment of a purchase price for energy or energy and capacity delivered to a trustee or reorganized utility. If a transmission and distribution utility that has entered into a power purchase contract with a small power producer or cogenerator for the purchase of energy o…

In the performance or enforcement of any contract for the purchase of energy resources by a transmission and distribution utility, all parties shall act in good faith and observe reasonable commercial standards of fair dealing. Conformance to this standard does not constitute imp…

1. Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Distributed energy resources" means small-scale electrical generation sources located close to where the generated electricity is used, energy sto…

This chapter may be known and cited as "the Maine Wind Energy Act."

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2023, c. 481, §2 (NEW).] 1. Apprentice. "Apprentice" has the same meaning as in Title 26, section 3201, subsection 1. 2. Certified business. "Certified business" …