| | | Emergency preamble. Whereas, Acts of the Legislature do not become | | effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as | | emergencies; and |
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| | | Whereas, it is necessary that the Public Utilities Commission | | have sufficient funds to carry out its statutory obligations; and |
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| | | Whereas, wholesale electricity markets are currently unsettled | | regionally and nationally, and electricity market rules and | | federal telecommunications rules are being developed and will | | significantly impact the overall prices that Maine's electricity | | and telephone consumers pay; and |
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| | | Whereas, during fiscal year 2000-01, the Public Utilities | | Commission must maintain its ongoing responsibilities while | | continuing to participate in regional and national activities | | that will impact Maine's consumers; and |
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| | | Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create | | an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and | | require the following legislation as immediately necessary for | | the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, | | therefore, |
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| | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | | Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §116, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1999, c. 398, Pt. C, | | §1, is further amended to read: |
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| | | 1. Utilities subject to assessments. Every transmission and | | distribution, gas, telephone and water utility and ferry subject | | to regulation by the commission is subject to an assessment on | | its intrastate gross operating revenues to produce no more than | | $4,918,000 in revenues annually. The commission shall increase | | the assessment to produce an additional $318,000 during fiscal | | year 2001-02 and an additional $587,000 during fiscal year 2002- | | 03. The commission shall assess transmission and distribution | | utilities at a rate sufficient to produce $3,370,000 and shall | | assess all other utilities at a rate sufficient to produce | | $1,548,000. The commission shall increase the assessment of | | transmission and distribution utilities to produce an additional | | $218,000 during fiscal year 2001-02 and an additional $402,000 | | during fiscal year 2002-03.__The commission shall increase the | | assessment of all other utilities to produce an additional | | $100,000 during fiscal year 2001-02 and an additional $185,000 | | during fiscal year 2002-03. The commission shall determine the | | assessments annually prior to May 1st and assess each utility for | | its pro rata share for expenditure during the fiscal year | | beginning July 1st. Each utility shall pay the |
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