Part A of the bill requires the Public Utilities Commission to adopt rules prohibiting the disconnection of utility services of a residential customer for nonpayment if the residential customer is enrolled in, has begun the process to enroll in or has been denied enrollment in an assistance program administered by the Public Utilities Commission or another state agency and the customer attests to the utility that the customer or a member
44 of the customer's household is 65 years of age or older, is incapacitated or dependent or has
45 been certified within the last 12 months as having a medical condition or disability by a
46 medical professional or government authority. It also prohibits disconnections if a member
47 of the customer's household has not attained 12 months of age. The commission is required
48 to adopt a process by which a public utility may petition the commission to proceed with a
49 disconnection of a residential customer's service that would otherwise be prohibited. Part
50 A also prohibits a competitive electricity provider from entering into an agreement to
51 provide service to or renew a contract for generation service for a residential consumer that,
52 in the 12-month period prior to entering into the agreement or renewing a contract, has
53 received low-income assistance unless the commission finds that the consumer would
54 receive a lower rate by enrolling in or renewing the contract when compared to the
55 standard-offer service available to that consumer. Part B prohibits certain expenses from being included in a public utility's rates, including fines and penalties, costs associated with travel, lodging and food for officers and members of a public utility's or affiliated interest's board of directors, expenditures for investor relations and certain costs associated with the attendance at, participation in, preparation for or appeal of any contested rate case proceeding conducted before the commission. If a public utility includes any prohibited expenses in rates, it is subject to administrative penalties and the commission may direct the utility to use a portion of the administrative penalties owed for the payment of a rebate to the public utility's customers. In addition to an administrative penalty, the commission is required to order the public utility to issue a refund to the public utility's customers, including interest. Part C requires the commission to adopt rules to require public utilities with over
50,000 customers to file a quarterly docket with the commission containing data from the previous quarter applicable to residential and nonresidential customers. The rules must require that the filing data include information regarding customer overdue accounts, disconnections, reconnections, deposits and payment plans. Part C also requires the commission, within existing resources, to conduct a proceeding at least once every 5 years to review administrative charges collected by a public utility with over 50,000 customers during the preceding 5-year period to ensure that such administrative charges are in compliance with applicable law. Part C also requires that if an investor-owned transmission and distribution utility includes on a customer's bill a public policy charge, the utility must include an accurate and comprehensive description of the costs and benefits of the components of public policy charges, including, but not limited to, energy efficiency programs, renewable energy programs and low-income energy assistance programs. Part D amends the definition of "assisted project" in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title
26, section 1304, subsection 1-A to lower the size threshold of a project to which the definition applies. It requires that certain percentages of total labor hours of the construction, alteration or repair of a generation facility are performed by qualified apprentices. Part D also requires the Public Utilities Commission, in executing its duties, powers and regulatory functions under Title 35-A, while ensuring system reliability and resource adequacy, to consider and incorporate environmental justice principles. It requires the commission, on or before April 1, 2026 and within existing resources, to establish a community engagement plan.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 1949, SP 756: 35-A.704, 35-A.3203, 35-A.302, 35-A.3107, 26.1304, 26.3501, 26.3502