Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3203, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1999, c. 398, Pt. J, §§1 and 2, is further amended to read:

2. Requirements. A competitive electricity provider may not undertake the sale of electricity at retail in this State without first receiving a license from the commission. Before approving a license application, the commission must receive from the applicant:

A. Evidence of financial capability sufficient to refund deposits to retail customers in the case of bankruptcy or nonperformance or for any other reason;

B. Evidence of the ability to enter into binding interconnection arrangements with transmission and distribution utilities;

C. Disclosure of all pending legal actions and customer complaints filed against the competitive electricity provider at a regulatory body other than the commission in the 12 months prior to the date of license application;

D. Evidence of the ability to satisfy the renewable resource portfolio requirement established under section 3210;

E. Disclosure of the names and corporate addresses of all affiliates of the applicant; and

F. Evidence that the applicant is registered with the State Tax Assessor as a seller of tangible personal property pursuant to Title 36, section 1754-B, together with a statement that the applicant agrees to be responsible for the collection and remission of taxes in accordance with Title 36, Part 3 on all taxable sales of electricity made by the applicant to consumers located in this State.

The commission shall consider the need for requiring and, if it determines there is a need, may require a competitive electricity provider to file a bond with the commission as evidence of financial ability to withstand market disturbances or other events that may increase the cost of providing service or to provide for uninterrupted service to its customers if a competitive electricity provider stops service. In determining the size of any such bond, the commission shall balance the need to develop a competitive retail electric market with any other factors and the extent to which large bonds may constitute a barrier to entry.__The commission may not require a bond larger