Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3202, sub-§4, as amended by PL 1999, c. 398, Pt. D, §1, is further amended to read:

4. Electric billing and metering services. Beginning March 1, 2002 2003, pursuant to rules adopted by the commission, the provision of electric billing and metering services is subject to competition. The commission by rule may establish an earlier date for the beginning of competition for the provision of billing or metering services, except that the commission may not set a beginning date that is prior to March 1, 2000 2002. Competition ordered pursuant to this subsection may be required only for customers of transmission and distribution utilities using at least 500 kilowatts of distribution service in any one hour in the calendar year.

The commission by rule shall establish minimum standards necessary to protect consumers of these services and codes of conduct governing the relationship among transmission and distribution utilities providing electric billing and metering services, any affiliates of transmission and distribution utilities providing such services and providers of such services that are not affiliated with a transmission and distribution utility. The commission shall determine each transmission and distribution utility's costs of providing electric billing and metering services that are reflected in consumer rates, including capital costs, depreciation, operating expenses and taxes, and shall separate this portion of the consumer rate into a separate charge.

Rules adopted under this subsection are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A and must be provisionally adopted by March 1, 2001.

SUMMARY

This bill extends the start-up date for implementing metering and billing competition within Maine's electric industry and limits such competition to customers using at least 500 kilowatts of distribution service in one hour in a year.