Current law gives the Public Utilities Commission discretion to deny a customer's or public utility's request that the commission conduct a formal proceeding to review the merits of a customer complaint after the customer and public utility have participated in a non-adjudicatory, informal customer complaint resolution process conducted by the consumer assistance and safety division of the commission. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court in General Marine Construction Corporation et al. v. Public Utilities Commission,
2022 ME 20, 271 A.3d 1166, held that a customer or public utility is foreclosed from appeal to the Law Court if it disagrees with a non-adjudicatory, informal decision of the consumer assistance and safety division of the commission and the commission declines to hold a formal proceeding to review the merits of the dispute. This bill allows a customer or public utility, after participating in a non-adjudicatory, informal consumer complaint resolution process conducted by the consumer assistance and safety division of the commission, to petition the commission for a de novo adjudicatory proceeding to investigate the dispute and requires the commission to make a final decision on the merits that is subject to Law Court review.