PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act To Include Natural Gas Expansion in the State Energy Plan
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 2 MRSA §9, sub-§3, ¶C, as amended by PL 2013, c. 415, §2, is further amended to read:
 
C. In consultation with the Efficiency Maine Trust Board, established in Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 10-C, prepare and submit a comprehensive state energy plan to the Governor and the Legislature by January 15, 2009 and submit an updated plan every 2 years thereafter. Within the comprehensive state energy plan, the director shall identify opportunities to lower the total cost of energy to consumers in this State and transmission capacity and infrastructure needs and recommend appropriate actions to lower the total cost of energy to consumers in this State and facilitate the development and integration of new renewable energy generation within the State and support the State's renewable resource portfolio requirements specified in Title 35-A, section 3210 and wind energy development goals specified in Title 35-A, section 3404. The comprehensive state energy plan must include a section that specifies the State's progress in meeting the oil dependence reduction targets in subsection 5. The office shall make recommendations, if needed, for additional legislative and administrative actions to ensure that the State can meet the reduction targets in subsection 5. The recommendations must include a cost and resource estimate for technology development needed to meet the reduction targets.
 
(1) Beginning in 2015, the update to the plan must:
 
(a) Be submitted to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over natural resources matters;
 
(b) Address the association between energy planning and meeting the greenhouse gas reduction goals in the state climate action plan pursuant to Title 38, section 577. The director shall consult with the Department of Environmental Protection in developing this portion of the plan;
 
(c) Include a section devoted to wind energy development, including:
 
(i) The State's progress toward meeting the wind energy development goals established in Title 35-A, section 3404, subsection 2, including an assessment of the likelihood of achieving the goals and any recommended changes to the goals;
 
(ii) Examination of the permitting process and any recommended changes to the permitting process;
 
(iii) Identified successes in implementing the recommendations contained in the February 2008 final report of the Governor's Task Force on Wind Power Development created by executive order issued May 8, 2007;
 
(iv) A summary of tangible benefits provided by expedited wind energy developments, including, but not limited to, documentation of community benefits packages and community benefit agreement payments provided;
 
(v) A review of the community benefits package requirement under Title 35-A, section 3454, subsection 2, the actual amount of negotiated community benefits packages relative to the statutorily required minimum amount and any recommended changes to community benefits package policies;
 
(vi) Projections of wind energy developers' plans, as well as technology trends and their state policy implications;
 
(vii) Recommendations, including, but not limited to, identification of places within the State's unorganized and deorganized areas for inclusion in the expedited permitting area established pursuant to Title 35-A, chapter 34-A and the creation of an independent siting authority to consider wind energy development applications; and
 
(d) Include a description of activities undertaken pursuant to paragraph H.; and
 
(e) Include a description of the State's activities relating to the expansion of natural gas service, any actions taken by the office to expand access to natural gas in the State and any recommendations for actions by the Legislature to expand access to natural gas in the State.
 
The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters may report out legislation by February 1st of each odd-numbered year relating to the content of the plan. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over natural resources matters may make recommendations regarding that legislation to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy matters.
 
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 126th Legislature, Second Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.