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An Act To Allow the Efficiency Maine Trust To Provide Support for New Home Construction
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §10110, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2017, c. 414, §2, is further amended to read:
 
2. Programs.   The trust shall develop and implement conservation programs to help reduce energy costs for electricity consumers in the State by the maximum amount possible. The trust shall establish and, on a schedule determined by the trust, revise objectives and an overall energy strategy for conservation programs. Conservation programs implemented by the trust must be consistent with the objectives and an overall energy strategy developed by the trust and approved by the commission and be cost-effective, as defined by the board by rule. In defining "cost-effective," the board may consider the extent to which a program promotes sustainable economic development or reduces environmental damage to the extent the board can quantify or otherwise reasonably identify such effects. Consistent with the other requirements of this section, the trust, in adopting and implementing conservation programs, shall seek to encourage efficiency in electricity use, provide incentives for the development of new, energy-efficient business activity in the State and take into account the costs and benefits of energy efficiency and conservation to existing business activity in the State. The trust shall ensure that conservation programs for residential consumers provide support for energy efficiency or conservation measures in new homes as well as in retrofits or improvements of existing homes.
 
A. The trust shall consider, without limitation, conservation programs that:
 
(1) Increase consumer awareness of cost-effective options for conserving energy;
 
(2) Create more favorable market conditions for the increased use of energy-efficient products and services;
 
(3) Promote sustainable economic development and reduce environmental damage;
 
(4) Reduce the price of electricity over time for all consumers by achieving reductions in demand for electricity during peak use periods; and
 
(5) Reduce total energy costs for electricity consumers in the State by increasing the efficiency with which electricity is consumed.
 
B. The trust, with regard to funds available to the trust under this section, shall:
 
(1) Target at least 10% of funds for electricity conservation collected under former subsection 4 or subsection 4-A or $2,600,000, whichever is greater, to programs for low-income residential consumers, as defined by the board by rule;
 
(2) Target at least 10% of funds for electricity conservation collected under former subsection 4 or subsection 4-A or $2,600,000, whichever is greater, to programs for small business consumers, as defined by the board by rule; and
 
(3) To the greatest extent practicable, apportion remaining funds among customer groups and geographic areas in a manner that allows all other customers to have a reasonable opportunity to participate in one or more conservation programs.
 
C. The trust shall hold at least one public hearing and invite, accept, review and consider comments and suggestions from interested parties prior to adopting or substantially revising conservation programs or the objectives and overall strategy for conservation programs.
 
D. The trust shall monitor conservation planning and program development activities in the region and around the country.
 
E. The trust shall implement conservation programs by contracting with service providers in accordance with subsection 3.
 
F. The trust shall monitor and evaluate the delivery of conservation programs by service providers and assess the cost-effectiveness of programs in meeting the objectives and overall strategy established by the trust.
 
G. The trust, to the extent possible, shall coordinate its efforts with other agencies of the State with energy-related responsibilities.
 
H. The trust shall secure sufficient technical and administrative expertise to carry out its responsibilities pursuant to this section by:
 
(1) Contracting with appropriate entities with relevant expertise and experience;
 
(2) Establishing one or more advisory groups composed of persons with relevant expertise and experience; or
 
(3) Any other reasonable means developed by the trust.
 
I. The trust may coordinate its efforts under this section with similar efforts in other states in the northeast region and enter into agreements with public agencies or other entities in or outside of the State for joint or cooperative conservation planning or conservation program delivery, if the trust finds that such coordination or agreements would provide demonstrable benefits to citizens of the State and be consistent with this section, the conservation programs and the objectives and overall strategy for the conservation programs.
 
J. The trust shall encourage school facility managers to complete an energy efficiency training and certification program established and conducted by the trust under this section. To the extent the trust determines necessary and appropriate to meet the goals of this paragraph, the trust may, in accordance with the requirements of this section, establish incentive mechanisms to encourage participation in this program. For purposes of this paragraph, "school facility managers" means persons employed by school administrative units in this State who are responsible for the design or operation of school administrative unit facilities or the heating, ventilation or air conditioning systems or equipment used in such facilities.
 
K. The trust shall provide programs developed in partnership with energy providers, such as transmission and distribution utilities, to provide consumers with information on energy options to promote energy efficiency and increased use of alternative energy resources in the State.
 
L. Pursuant to section 3214, subsection 2-A, the trust shall work with investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities, consumer-owned transmission and distribution utilities that elect to participate in an arrearage management program pursuant to section 3214, subsection 2-A and other stakeholders to provide access to a complementary low-income energy efficiency program for participants in the arrearage management programs in order to help reduce participants' energy consumption.
 
This paragraph is repealed September 30, 2021.
 
SUMMARY
This bill provides that the Efficiency Maine Trust must ensure that conservation programs for residential consumers provide support for energy efficiency or conservation measures in new homes not just in retrofits or improvements of existing homes.