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Act Regarding Compensation by Large Transmission and Distribution Utilities
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  35-A MRSA §316  is enacted to read:
§ 316. Customer-constructed service drops
 
1.  Definitions.     As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
 
A.  "Large transmission and distribution utility" means a transmission and distribution utility serving more than 500,000 retail customers.
 
B.  "Service drop" means the service cable or other conductor providing secondary voltage to a customer's service entrance equipment from a transformer or from a secondary conductor, as defined by the commission by rule.
 
2.  Service drop reimbursements.     The construction and reimbursement of costs of the construction of a service drop by a customer of a large transmission and distribution utility is governed by the following:
 
A.  At the request of the customer, the large transmission and distribution utility shall reimburse a customer for a customer-constructed service drop as long as:
 
(1) The service drop is no more than 150 feet in length if the service drop is located on the same side of the street as the large transmission and distribution utility's distribution facilities or no more than 200 feet if the service drop is located on the opposite side of the street from the large transmission and distribution utility's distribution facilities; and
 
(2) The service drop meets the National Electrical Safety Code and the large transmission and distribution utility's standards; and
 
B.  The price paid by the large transmission and distribution utility to reimburse the customer for a customer-constructed service drop, regardless of whether the service drop was constructed underground or aboveground, may not exceed the amount the large transmission and distribution utility would have expended if that utility had constructed an aboveground service drop to serve that customer.
 
3.  Rules.     The commission shall adopt rules to carry out the provisions of this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
SUMMARY
This bill establishes requirements relating to so-called electric service drops constructed by customers of large electric transmission and distribution utilities. The bill requires a utility to reimburse a customer for an aboveground or underground customer-constructed service drop at the customer's request, but limits the price to be paid to the cost the utility would have expended to construct an aboveground service drop.