HP1181, LD 1701, item 1, An Act To Improve the Energy Efficiency of Group Homes in the Northern Part of the State

An Act To Improve the Energy Efficiency of Group Homes in the Northern Part of the State

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §10109, sub-§4, ¶A, as amended by PL 2017, c. 282, §2, is further amended to read:

A. The trust shall allocate 50% of the funds for residential programs and 50% for commercial and industrial programs. Trust funds must be allocated for measures, investments, loans, technical assistance and arrangements that reduce electricity consumption, increase energy efficiency or reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy costs at commercial or industrial facilities and for investment in measures that lower residential heating energy demand and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The measures that lower residential heating demand must be fuel-neutral and may include, but are not limited to, energy efficiency improvements to residential buildings and upgrades to efficient heating systems that will reduce residential energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, as determined by the board. The trust shall ensure that measures to reduce the cost of residential heating are available for low-income households as defined by the trust. The trust may use funds allocated for residential programs for group homes for persons with intellectual disabilities in Aroostook County as long as the trust limits the expenditure of these funds to $3,500 per group home. When promoting electricity cost and consumption reduction, the trust may consider measures at commercial and industrial facilities that also lower peak capacity demand. Subject to the apportionment pursuant to this subsection, the trust shall fund conservation programs that give priority to measures with the highest benefit-to-cost ratio, as long as cost-effective collateral efficiency opportunities are not lost, and that:

(1) Reliably reduce greenhouse gas production and heating energy costs by fossil fuel combustion in the State at the lowest cost in funds from the trust fund per unit of emissions; or

(2) Reliably increase the efficiency with which energy in the State is consumed at the lowest cost in funds from the trust fund per unit of energy saved.

Notwithstanding this paragraph, during fiscal years 2017-18 to 2019-20, the trust is not required to allocate 50% of the funds to residential programs and 50% of the funds to commercial and industrial programs and may instead allocate those funds to programs at the trust's discretion.

Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §10119, sub-§2, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, §3, is amended to read:

B. Funds from the fund may be used only for programs that provide cost-effective energy efficiency and weatherization measures for the benefit of heating fuel customers or to efficiency service providers serving those customers and in accordance with the following.

(1) Program categories must include low-income, single-family and 2-family residential units, multifamily residential units, small business, commercial and institutional and such other categories as the trust determines appropriate . A program category must include group homes for persons with intellectual disabilities in Aroostook County. Such a group home is limited to receiving $3,500 from the fund;

(2) Within program categories, the trust may differentiate between programs for new construction and existing buildings; and

(3) Cost-effective energy efficiency measures must include measures that improve the energy efficiency of energy-using systems, such as heating and cooling systems, through system upgrades or conversions, including conversions to energy-efficient systems that rely on renewable energy sources or systems that rely on effective energy efficiency technologies.

summary

This bill provides that money in certain funds established in the Efficiency Maine Trust Act may be used to improve energy efficiency in group homes for persons with intellectual disabilities in Aroostook County. These expenditures are limited to $3,500 per group home.

HP1181 LD 1701	Session - 128th Maine Legislature		LR 2534 Item 1
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