A.__Ninety percent to in-state eligible renewable resource generation facilities as a per-kilowatt-hour production incentive; and

B.__Ten percent to fund eligible renewable resource research and development at the University of Maine System, the Maine Maritime Academy or the Maine Technical College System and demonstration community projects using eligible renewable resource technologies.

7.__Rules.__The commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement this section.__Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

SUMMARY

This bill imposes, beginning January 1, 2004, assessments on the retail sale of electricity generated by the use of coal, oil and natural gas and directs the Public Utilities Commission to establish by rule a program to use the revenues from this assessment to reduce the cost to consumers of electricity generated by the use of renewable resources. This bill also changes the name of the Renewable Resource Fund to the Voluntary Eligible Renewable Resource Fund to distinguish it from the Maine Renewable Resource Fund created by the bill.