An Act To Protect Electricity Consumers in Northern Maine
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3132, sub-§14 is enacted to read:
14. Customer cost impact. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the commission may not issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity that has the effect of eliminating the independent system administrator for northern Maine or eliminating or modifying the scope of responsibilities of the independent system administrator for northern Maine unless the certificate is subject to a requirement for the full compensation for an adverse effect on customer costs including a known and measurable transmission cost effect due to the construction of the transmission line subject to the certificate. Compensation required by this section must be paid to affected customers through a rebate or reduction in rates charged by every transmission and distribution utility operating in the area of the State in which the retail electricity market is administered by the independent system administrator for northern Maine for a period of not less than 10 years beginning upon the date of the adverse cost effects.
SUMMARY
This bill requires a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a transmission line that has the effect of eliminating the independent system administrator for northern Maine or eliminating or modifying the scope of responsibilities of the independent system administrator for northern Maine to require compensation of adverse cost effects to affected customers through a rebate or reduction in rates charged by transmission and distribution utilities serving the area that is administered by the independent system administrator for northern Maine for a period of not less than 10 years.