Sec. 6. 35-A MRSA §3211-A, sub-§11, ¶D is enacted to read:

D.__The status of the progress towards meeting the goals of Title 20-A, section 264, subsection 2 and the strategies that have been implemented to meet those goals.__The report must also include an accounting of the energy savings achieved by school administrative districts due to compliance with Title 20-A, section 264, subsection 1.

Sec. 7. Development of new compensation method for transmission and distribution utilities. The Public Utilities Commission shall develop a compensation method for transmission and distribution utilities that is not based on the amount of energy used by the consumer. The commission shall submit its report, along with any necessary implementing legislation, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters by January 15, 2007. For purposes of this section, "transmission and distribution utility" has the same meaning as in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 102, subsection 20-B.

Sec. 8. Waiver; standards for boilers and furnaces. The Public Utilities Commission shall seek a waiver from the federal Department of Energy from the minimum energy efficiency standards established by the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987, 42 United States Code, Chapter 77, Subchapter III, Part A for residential furnaces and boilers. The commission shall establish by rule energy standards for boilers and furnaces used in this State. The energy standards must be comparable to the energy standards developed or being developed in other New England states. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are major substantive rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

Sec. 9. Availability of fuel-saving tires. The Governor's Office of Energy Independence and Security in the Executive Department, State Planning Office shall monitor efforts in other states to increase the availability of fuel-saving tires used by manufacturers in mileage tests conducted by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The office may conduct independent research and analysis of efforts to increase the availability of fuel-saving tires. The office shall submit its report and recommendations, along with any necessary implementing legislation, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters by January 15, 2007.