Title 35-A, Title 35-A

The provisions of this Title shall be interpreted and construed liberally to accomplish the purpose of this Title. The commission has all implied and inherent powers under this Title, which are necessary and proper to execute faithfully its express powers and functions specified …

1. Appointment. The Governor shall appoint 3 members to the Public Utilities Commission. The appointments shall be subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over public utilities and to confirmation by the Legislature. Members of the…

The following provisions apply to the chair of the Public Utilities Commission. [RR 2021, c. 1, Pt. B, §394 (COR).] 1. Appointment. The Governor shall designate one member of the commission as chair. 2. General duties. The chair shall: A. Be the principal executive officer of the…

The following provisions apply to the commission's staff. [PL 2009, c. 122, §7 (AMD).] 1. Appointment. The commission shall appoint: A. An administrative director, a director of telephone and water utility industries, a director of electric and gas utility industries, a director …

A majority of the duly appointed commissioners constitutes a quorum and the act or decision of a majority of commissioners present, if at least a quorum is present, is the act or decision of the commission in any formal proceeding before the commission. [PL 1993, c. 36, §2 (NEW).…

If the commission is unable to maintain a quorum for reasons as described in subsection 1, the Governor shall appoint 3 alternate commissioners who may serve as temporary commissioners in accordance with this section. [PL 2013, c. 554, §1 (NEW).] 1. Selection of alternate commiss…

In addition to the limitations of Title 5, section 18, the following limitations apply to prevent conflicts of interest. [PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. A, §6 (NEW).] 1. Public utilities. A member or employee of the commission may not: A. Have any official or professional connection or rel…

Any willful violation of this Title by a commissioner constitutes sufficient cause for the commissioner's removal by the Governor, on the address of both branches of the Legislature or by impeachment pursuant to the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 5.

The commission may adopt rules and may employ assistance to carry out its responsibilities under this Title.

1. Investigation of management of business. The commission may inquire into the management of the business of all public utilities and shall keep itself informed as to the manner and method in which each is conducted. The provisions of this subsection do not apply to any telephon…

1. Audit. The commission may require the performance of a management audit of the operations of any public utility in order to determine: A. The degree to which a public utility's construction program evidences planning adequate to identify realistic needs of its customers; [PL 1…

1. Confidential. The following records of public utilities are confidential and, except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, are excluded from the books, accounts, papers, records, memoranda, documents and information otherwise available to the commission under this Title and m…

The following provisions apply to the enforcement of state laws. [PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. A, §6 (NEW).] 1. Commission's duties. The commission shall: A. Inquire into any neglect or violation of state laws by a public utility doing business within the State; [PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. A, …

1. Entities subject to assessments. Every transmission and distribution, gas, telephone and water utility and ferry subject to regulation by the commission and every qualified telecommunications provider is subject to an assessment on its intrastate gross operating revenues to pr…

1. Filing fees expense; reimbursements and payment for services. All money collected by the commission in the form of filing fees, expense reimbursements ordered by the commission or payment for services shall be deposited with the Treasurer of State in an account to be known as …

The commission may participate with other state and federal public utility regulatory bodies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Federal Communications Commission, or their successors, in joint hearings and studies relating to mutually regulated utilities.

Commencing with a review in 1985, the commission shall review the laws governing Public Utilities Commission operations and areas of jurisdiction every 5 years. Upon the review, the commission shall submit to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction ove…

The commission shall report annually, before February 1st, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over public utilities on: [PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. A, §6 (NEW).] 1. Budget. The commission's planned expenditures for the year and its use of funds in th…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Clean hydrogen" means hydrogen produced through a process that results in a life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions rate of not greater than 0.45 kilo…

1. Definition. As used in this section, "employment" means any full-time or part-time work performed for compensation and includes, but is not limited to, consulting and membership on a board. 2. Prohibitions. An individual serving as a commissioner on or appointed to serve as a …

1. Facilities. Every public utility shall furnish safe, reasonable and adequate facilities and service. 1-A. Minimum service standards and report card for transmission and distribution utilities. The commission shall adopt rules for utilities with over 50,000 customers in accorda…

1. Contributions to political groups or candidates. 1-A. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Affiliated interest" has the same meaning as in section 707, subsection 1, paragraph A. [PL …

The commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement section 302, including, but not limited to, rules concerning promotional advertising; promotional allowances, including, but not limited to, the granting of promotional rebates or credits; advertising to promote corporate im…

In determining just and reasonable rates, tolls and charges, the commission shall fix a reasonable value upon all the property of a public utility and upon an electric plant to the extent paid for by the utility on the premises of any of its customers that is used or required to …

Every public utility shall file with the commission, within a time to be fixed by the commission, schedules which shall be open to public inspection. The schedules shall show all rates, tolls and charges which the utility has established and which are in force at the time for any…

A copy of as much of the schedules as the commission determines necessary for the use of the public shall be printed in plain type and kept on file in every office of the public utility which is open to the public and where payments are made by the consumers, under such rules as …

A schedule of joint rates or charges that is or may be in force between 2 or more public utilities shall be printed and filed with the commission and made open to the public in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Final determination of the public utility's revenue requirement" means a decision by the commission on the merits of a public utility's request af…

Copies of all new schedules shall be filed in every office of a public utility where payments are made by customers 30 days prior to the time they are to take effect, unless the commission prescribes less time as provided in section 307.

1. Adherence to schedules. Except as otherwise provided in section 703, it is unlawful for any public utility to charge, demand, collect or receive, for any service performed by it within the State or for any service in connection with that performance, a greater or lesser compen…

1. Investigation of proposed rate changes. When the commission receives notice of any change proposed to be made in a schedule of rates filed with the commission under the provisions of law, it may at any time before the effective date of the change, either upon complaint or upon…

The commission shall provide for a comprehensive classification of service for each public utility. The classification may take into account the quantity used, the time when used, the purpose for which used and any other reasonable consideration. Each public utility shall conform…

During any proceeding initiated by a public utility by a filing pursuant to section 307 or 1302, the commission may temporarily approve any undisputed amounts of a requested rate increase or rate decrease. If the parties are unable to agree on an undisputed amount, any party, at …

A campground owner or operator may submeter electric service to campground sites within the campground in accordance with this section, as long as electric service is not provided to any particular submeter user for a period greater than 6 consecutive months. [PL 1995, c. 129, §1…

An electric vehicle charging station provider, as defined in section 3201, subsection 8‑B, may install an electrical submeter and may charge a submeter user only for kilowatt hours used.

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Line" means an electric distribution line, including poles and other related structures. [PL 2001, c. 201, §1 (NEW).] 2. Standards for private lin…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Line" has the same meaning as in section 314, subsection 1, paragraph A. [PL 2011, c. 484, §1 (NEW).] B. "Make-ready work" means work necessary to…

Every public utility shall keep and render to the commission in the manner and form prescribed by the commission, uniform accounts of all business transacted. [PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. A, §6 (NEW).] 1. Other systems prohibited. Nothing in this Title requires any public utility engage…

1. Forms of books and records. The commission shall prescribe the forms of all books, accounts, papers and records required to be kept. Every public utility shall keep and render its books, accounts, papers and records accurately and faithfully in the manner and form prescribed b…

Every public utility engaged directly or indirectly in any other subsidiary business shall, if ordered by the commission, keep and render separately to the commission the accounts of the subsidiary business in the manner and form set out in section 501, in which case all the prov…

The following provisions apply to the accounts of public utilities. [PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. A, §6 (NEW).] 1. Time for closing accounts. The accounts of all public utilities shall be closed annually on the 31st day of December unless the commission fixes a different date. 2. Filing …

The commission shall provide for the examination and audit of all accounts and all items must be allocated to the accounts in the manner prescribed by the commission. [PL 2011, c. 77, §1 (AMD).] 1. Consumer-owned water utilities. Except as provided in this subsection, the commiss…

The agents, accountants or examiners employed by the commission shall have authority inside or outside the State under the direction of the commission to inspect and examine the books, accounts, papers, records and memoranda kept by any public utility.

The provisions of this chapter do not apply to a telephone utility other than a provider of provider of last resort service with respect to its provider of last resort service accounts. The commission may not require a provider of provider of last resort service to keep its accou…

1. Person furnishing facilities incident to service. No public utility may demand, charge, collect or receive from any person less compensation for any service rendered or to be rendered by the public utility in consideration of the person furnishing a part of the facilities inci…

1. Unjust discrimination. It is unlawful for a public utility to give any undue or unreasonable preference, advantage, prejudice or disadvantage to a particular person. 2. Solar energy. No public utility providing electric or gas service may consider the use of solar energy by a …