Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3218 is enacted to read:

§3218. Washington County Electricity Agency

1.__Established.__The Washington County Electricity Agency, referred to in this section as the "agency," is established as a public aggregator, broker or marketer for consumers of electricity located within Washington County.

2. Powers.__The agency is authorized to:

A. Enter into agreements with consumers in Washington County to serve as an aggregator, broker or marketer on their behalf beginning on March 1, 2000; and

B. Negotiate and enter into agreements with competitive electricity providers to purchase power on behalf of or broker the purchase of power by consumers served by the agency beginning on March 1, 2000.

3. Commissioners; chair.__The affairs of the agency must be managed by a board of 8 commissioners who must be residents of Washington County and elected as follows:

A. One commissioner is elected by the voters within House District 131, within Washington County, as defined in Title 21-A, section 1204, subsection 131, paragraph B;

B. One commissioner is elected by the voters within House District 133, as defined in Title 21-A, section 1204;

C. One commissioner is elected by the voters within House District 134, as defined in Title 21-A, section 1204;

D. One commissioner is elected by the voters within House District 135, as defined in Title 21-A, section 1204;

E. One commissioner is elected by the voters within House District 136, in Washington County, as defined in Title 21- A, section 1204, subsection 136, paragraph C; and

F. Three commissioners are elected at large by the voters within Washington County.

The commissioners shall select annually, at their first meeting on or after the first day of January, a chair to act for one year.

4. Elections; terms; vacancies.__The first commissioners of the agency must be elected on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November in 1999.__Elected and qualified commissioners