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An Act To Reduce Maine's Dependence on Oil
 
CONCEPT DRAFT SUMMARY
This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208.
This bill proposes that the Efficiency Maine Trust, with input from stakeholders, develop a plan to reduce Maine’s dependence on oil. The plan must include targets for reducing Maine’s total oil consumption that equal the maximum economically achievable oil savings. The targets may not provide less than a 30% overall reduction in oil consumption from 2009 levels by 2030 and a 50% overall reduction from 2009 levels by 2050. In establishing these targets, the Efficiency Maine Trust and stakeholders shall consider:
1. The future oil and gasoline costs to the drivers, homeowners, industries and businesses in Maine, as well as the environmental and national security effects of Maine’s oil dependence and the local economic development opportunities, including job creation potential, of improving energy efficiency and moving to clean, renewable, made-in-Maine energy sources; and
2. The potential of oil savings from the following strategies to improve energy efficiency and move to clean, renewable energy:
A. Shifting freight transported in Maine from trucks to other transportation modes, including rail and marine transportation;
B. The rapid deployment of electric vehicles, through a combination of policies that include comprehensive planning with utilities, investments in electric vehicle infrastructure, consumer tax incentives and targeted deployment communities;
C. Establishing rebates or other consumer incentives for retiring older, inefficient vehicles;
D. Coordinating land use and transportation planning to encourage growth in areas accessible by walking, biking and public transportation;
E. Expanding and investing in public transportation, including bus transit and light rail, and offering incentives for commuters to use public transportation where available;
F. Transitioning to renewable energy for heating, including energy from off-shore wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and sustainable biomass;
G. Achieving home and commercial weatherization and efficiency improvements including and in addition to those included in the Efficiency Maine Trust’s triennial plan;
H. Establishing additional policies and incentives for industrial efficiency improvements, including replacements of industrial boilers and other steps to reduce petroleum consumption; and
I. Adopting other strategies that can help enable Maine to achieve the oil-reduction targets.
The Efficiency Maine Trust shall report to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology by February 2012 with recommendations for short-term and mid-term policies needed to achieve the overall reductions in oil use, including recommendations for specific legislative actions. The recommendations must require that, by January 15, 2014 and by January 15th every 5 years thereafter, the Governor's Office of Energy Independence and Security shall evaluate the State’s progress toward meeting the oil-reduction goals and make additional recommendations to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy, utilities and technology matters as necessary to ensure that the State can meet the reduction goals.