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An Act To Revise the Renewable Portfolio Standard Laws To Allow Certain Hydropower Facilities To Qualify as New Renewable Capacity Resources
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3210, sub-§2, ¶B-4, as amended by PL 2011, c. 413, §1, is further amended to read:
 
B-4. "New" as applied to any renewable capacity resource means a renewable capacity resource that:
 
(1) Has an in-service date after September 1, 2005;
 
(2) Was added to an existing facility after September 1, 2005;
 
(3) For at least 2 years was not operated or was not recognized by the New England independent system operator as a capacity resource and, after September 1, 2005, resumed operation or was recognized by the New England independent system operator as a capacity resource; or
 
(4) Was refurbished after September 1, 2005 and is operating beyond its previous useful life or is employing an alternate technology that significantly increases the efficiency of the generation process.; or
 
(5) A new license was received for after January 1, 2018 under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rules, 18 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 16, the total power production capacity of which as specified in the license does not exceed 30 megawatts, and that is interconnected with an electric distribution system located in the State.
 
For the purposes of this paragraph, "capacity resource" has the same meaning as in section 3210-C, subsection 1, paragraph A. For the purposes of this paragraph, "to refurbish" means to make an investment in equipment or facilities, other than for routine maintenance and repair, to renovate, reequip or restore the renewable capacity resource.
 
SUMMARY
This bill allows a hydropower facility licensed after January 1, 2018 with a licensed capacity of no more than 30 megawatts that is interconnected with an electric distribution system located in Maine to qualify as a new renewable capacity resource for purposes of meeting renewable energy portfolio standard requirements.