Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A Sec. 1905 – Funding of an energy cost reduction contract or a physical energy storage contract
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Contracts under this chapter may be funded in accordance with this section. [PL 2015, c. 445, §6 (AMD).]
1. Assessments on ratepayers. The commission may direct one or more transmission and distribution utilities, gas utilities or natural gas pipeline utilities to collect an assessment from ratepayers for the following purposes:
A. To finance the participation of a transmission and distribution utility, a gas utility or a natural gas pipeline utility in an energy cost reduction contract or a physical energy storage contract; and [PL 2015, c. 445, §6 (AMD).]
B. To pay the costs of energy cost reduction contract or physical energy storage contract evaluation and administration under section 1906, subsection 2. [PL 2015, c. 445, §6 (AMD).]
All assessments must be just and reasonable as determined by the commission and must be identified as an energy cost reduction contract charge or a physical energy storage contract charge on a ratepayer’s utility bill. When determining just and reasonable assessments, the commission shall consider the anticipated reduction in the price of gas or electricity, as applicable, accruing to different categories of ratepayers as a result of the contract.
[PL 2015, c. 445, §6 (AMD).]
Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A Sec. 1905
- Commission: means the Public Utilities Commission. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A Sec. 102
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Energy cost reduction contract: means a contract executed in accordance with this chapter to procure capacity on a natural gas transmission pipeline, including, when applicable, compression capacity. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A Sec. 1902
- Gas utility: includes every person, that person's lessees, trustees, receivers or trustees appointed by any court owning, controlling, operating or managing any gas plant for compensation within this State, except when gas is made or produced on and distributed by the maker or producer through private property alone solely for its own tenants and not for sale to others, or when the gas is sold solely for use in vehicles fueled by natural gas or to a liquid gas system that serves fewer than 10 customers as long as no portion of the liquid gas system is located in a public place or that serves a single customer if the liquid gas system is located entirely on the customer's premises. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A Sec. 102
- Natural gas pipeline utility: includes every person, its lessees, trustees, receivers or trustees appointed by any court owning or operating for compensation within this State any pipeline, including pumping stations, storage depots and other facilities, for the transportation, distribution or sale of natural gas, or any person or corporation which has applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a certificate of public convenience and necessity or to the Public Utilities Commission for a certificate of authorization to operate a natural gas pipeline within the State. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A Sec. 102
- Physical energy storage contract: means a contract executed in accordance with this chapter for physical energy storage capacity. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A Sec. 1902
- Transmission and distribution utility: means a person, its lessees, trustees or receivers or trustees appointed by a court, owning, controlling, operating or managing a transmission and distribution plant for compensation within the State, except where the electricity is distributed by the entity that generates the electricity through private property alone solely for the use of:
A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A Sec. 102Trust fund: means the Energy Cost Reduction Trust Fund established under section 1907, subsection 1. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A Sec. 1902
2. Assessments on utilities. If the commission is the principal and counterparty on an energy cost reduction contract or a physical energy storage contract, the commission may:
A. Assess one or more transmission and distribution utilities, gas utilities and natural gas pipeline utilities in proportion to the anticipated reduction in the price of gas or electricity, as applicable, accruing as a result of an energy cost reduction contract or a physical energy storage contract to the customers of the utility for any and all net costs to the commission of the commission’s performance of the contract as determined by the commission in an adjudicatory proceeding. The cost to the utility of the assessment may be recovered by the utility in rates in the same manner as any other prudently incurred cost. [PL 2015, c. 445, §6 (AMD).]
[PL 2015, c. 445, §6 (AMD).]
3. Volumetric fee. The commission may establish and direct the payment to the trust fund of a volumetric fee on the use of gas by a consumer of natural gas obtained from a source other than a gas utility or a natural gas pipeline utility of this State in proportion to the anticipated reduction in the price of gas accruing to that consumer as a result of an energy cost reduction contract or a physical energy storage contract as determined by the commission in an adjudicatory proceeding.
[PL 2015, c. 445, §6 (AMD).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2013, c. 369, Pt. B, §1 (NEW). PL 2015, c. 445, §6 (AMD).