Maine's energy legislation carryovers from 2017

When the First Regular Session of the 128th Maine State Legislature adjourned earlier this year, its committees reserved a list of bills for further debate in 2018.  A list of these carryover bills published by the legislative information office includes 16 bills carried over by the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Technology.  While new legislation may be proposed in the legislature's second session, the committee's work in 2018 will include action on these carried-over bills.

Here's an excerpt from the list of bills carried over, focused on the Energy, Utilities, and Technology committee:

• LD 131, An Act To Protect the Biomass Industry
• LD 140, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Support Entrepreneurial Activity, Attract Business and Enhance Demographic In-migration by Investing in High-speed Broadband Infrastructure and To Amend the Law Governing the Municipal Gigabit Broadband Network Access Fund
• LD 257, An Act To Enable Municipalities Working with Utilities To Establish Microgrids
• LD 260, An Act to Create the Maine Energy Office
• LD 532, An Act to Remove the 100-megawatt Limit on Hydroelectric Generators under the Renewable Resources Laws
• LD 822, An Act to Ensure Fairness among Large Consumers of Natural Gas
• LD 1176, An Act To Ensure the Safety of Low-income Persons Who Are Deaf and Who Use Video and Captioned Phones by Providing Equitable Access to the Internet
• LD 1224, An Act To Allow for Greater Energy Competition in Maine by Amending the Law Governing Electric Generation or Generation-related Assets by Affiliates
• LD 1372, An Act To Increase Broadband Access for Rural Communities
• LD 1373, An Act To Protect and Expand Access to Solar Power in Maine
• LD 1444, An Act Regarding Large-scale Community Solar Procurement
• LD 1472, An Act To Lower the Costs of Broadband Service by Coordinating the Installation of Broadband Infrastructure
• LD 1487, An Act To Control Electricity Transmission Costs through the Development of Nontransmission Alternatives
• LD 1515, An Act To Reduce Electric Rates for Maine Businesses by Amending the Laws Governing Spending from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Trust Fund
• LD 1610, An Act To Protect Privacy of Online Customer Personal Information
• LD 1632, An Act To Establish the Manufacturing Jobs Energy Program

Based on these bill titles, the committee will be faced with continuing discussion over broadband; regulation and incentives for renewable energy resources including solar, hydroelectricity and biomass; economic development and reduction of electricity rates.

3/16/10

Maine news in brief:
Governor Baldacci names a new LURC commissioner and reappoints 6 current members. LURC is Maine's Land Use Regulatory Commission, which rules on development plans in Maine's unorganized territory -- including the proposed Plum Creek development, and wind-power projects.

University of Maine names a new distance-learning director: Curt Madison, who has served at the University of Alaska - Fairbanks. Curious to see how this fits with the University's broadband plan.

Meanwhile Portland has applied to Google to be a test site for full-penetration super-fast internet.

Maple season is here, with Governor Baldacci tapping the ceremonial first tree.

Elsewhere:
29 governors "demand" a national renewable energy standard (or renewable portfolio standard). 10% by 2012? Many states, such as Maine, are already doing more.