Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

LAW WITHOUT
                                                                     GOVERNOR'S            CHAPTER
                                                                     SIGNATURE
                                                                                                131
                                                                JANUARY 11, 2026           RESOLVES
                                  STATE OF MAINE
                                           _____
                             IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
                        TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
                                           _____
                                  H.P. 1234 - L.D. 1850
Resolve, to Improve Interagency Coordination and Information Accessibility
             Regarding Renewable Energy Construction Projects
    Sec. 1. Data related to renewable energy construction projects. Resolved:
That the Governor's Energy Office, referred to in this resolve as "the office," shall
coordinate with state agencies that permit, regulate or provide state assistance to renewable
energy construction projects, including, but not limited to, the Department of
Environmental Protection, the Department of Labor, the Department of Agriculture,
Conservation and Forestry and the Public Utilities Commission, to evaluate how to display
and maintain data regarding renewable energy construction projects in an efficient,
meaningful and publicly accessible manner for the purposes of identifying renewable
energy trends in this State, including through the development of a database. For the
purposes of this resolve, "renewable energy construction project" or "project" means a
source of electrical generation that has a nameplate capacity of 500 kilowatts or more and
relies on a source of generation described in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section
3210, subsection 2, paragraph C, subparagraph (2). The evaluation must provide a method
to make the data publicly available and, to the extent practicable, a method for obtaining
information from renewable energy construction project developers, including, but not
limited to:
    1. The project's name;
    2. The project owner's name and contact information, including, but not limited to, the
project owner's mailing address, telephone number and e-mail address;
    3. The project's location;
    4. A description of the purposes for which the land on which the project is located was
used prior to the development of the project;
    5. The project's nameplate capacity;
    6. The anticipated start date of construction of the project;
    7. Whether the project is subject to the provisions of Title 26, chapter 43;
    8. Whether the project is subject to the provisions of Title 26, section 1306-A or 3213;
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    9. Whether the project owner has sought, intends to seek or has received state or federal
assistance, including, but not limited to, tax credits, grants or loans;
    10. The status of environmental and construction permits the project has applied for or
received;
    11. The status of any approval requested for the project under Title 38, section 484-C
or 484-D or Title 38, chapter 35; and
   12. Whether the project owner intends to seek certification for the project under Title
35-A, section 3210 and, if so, under which resource class.
    Sec. 2. Evaluation criteria. Resolved: That the office's evaluation required under
section 1 must consider:
    1. Whether state agencies that permit, regulate or provide state assistance to projects
currently have access to the information listed in section 1 and have the ability to make the
information publicly available;
    2. Efficient and cost-effective methods to gather information listed in section 1 that is
not held by a state agency;
    3. Whether information in addition to that listed in section 1 should be collected from
project developers or owners for the purposes of identifying renewable energy trends;
    4. Whether existing state databases can be modified to most efficiently display any
information in addition to that listed in section 1 required by this resolve;
    5. Appropriate criteria for the inclusion of a project with a nameplate capacity of more
than 500 kilowatts, including, but not limited to, criteria related to the project's in-service
date;
    6. A reasonable frequency for database updates;
     7. Whether and through what mechanism the office may or could be given the authority
to require the provision of timely and accurate information by project developers or owners;
    8. Whether additional staff or financial resources may be necessary to develop and
maintain the data under section 1 or if it is feasible to maintain this data within existing
resources of the office; and
    9. Potential funding sources to support the development and long-term maintenance of
the data under section 1.
    Sec. 3. Report. Resolved: That the office, in consultation with the state agencies
listed in section 1, shall submit a report on the evaluation under this resolve to the Joint
Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology by February 1, 2026. The report
must contain recommendations related to how to display and maintain data regarding
renewable energy construction projects in an efficient, meaningful and publicly accessible
manner for the purposes of identifying renewable energy trends in this State. The
committee may report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature
based on the report.
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