Amend the bill by inserting after the title and before the enacting clause the following:
‘Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, the Executive Department, State Planning Office has the authority to administer the Renewable Resource Fund in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2007; and
Whereas, transferring the authority to administer the Renewable Resource Fund to the Public Utilities Commission on July 1, 2007 will ensure that there is no lapse in spending authority during the transition of administrative responsibility for the fund; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,’
Amend the bill in section 1 in subsection 5 in the first paragraph in the 4th line (page 1, line 7 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "demonstration community" and inserting the following: ' demonstration community demonstration'
Amend the bill in section 1 in subsection 5 by striking out all of paragraph D (page 1, lines 17 to 21 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
‘D. Provide for a distribution of the funds to Maine-based nonprofit organizations that qualify under the federal Internal Revenue Code, Section 501(c)(3), consumer-owned electric cooperatives transmission and distribution utilities, community-based nonprofit organizations and , community action programs , municipalities, quasi-municipal corporations or districts as defined in Title 30-A, section 2351 and school administrative units as defined in Title 20-A, section 1 for demonstration community demonstration projects using renewable energy technologies.’
Amend the bill by inserting after section 2 the following:
‘Sec. 3. 35-A MRSA §3210, sub-§6-A is enacted to read:
6-A. Renewable Resource Fund report. The commission shall report by December 1st of each year to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters on the Renewable Resource Fund established in subsection 6 and referred to in this subsection as "the fund." The report must include: A. A description of actions taken by the commission pursuant to subsections 5 and 6 during the prior 12 months;
B. An accounting of total deposits into and expenditures from the fund during the prior 12 months; and
C. A description of any research and development or community demonstration project that received a distribution from the fund during the prior 12 months, including its objectives, current status and results.
Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
Renewable Resource Fund 0912
Initiative: Deallocates funds due to a transfer of the Renewable Resource Fund currently administered by the Executive Department, State Planning Office to the Public Utilities Commission.
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS |
2007-08 |
2008-09 |
|
All Other
|
($500) |
($500) |
|
 |
|
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL |
($500) |
($500) |
| EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT |
|
|
| DEPARTMENT TOTALS |
2007-08 |
2008-09 |
|
|
|
|
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
|
($500) |
($500) |
|
|
|
| DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS |
($500) |
($500) |
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
Renewable Resource Fund 0912
Initiative: Allocates funds to allow a transfer of the Renewable Resource Fund currently administered by the Executive Department, State Planning Office to the Public Utilities Commission. This allocation will provide funding for initiatives through revenue fund transfers and authorizes the use of the estimated balance forward.
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS |
2007-08 |
2008-09 |
|
All Other
|
$500 |
$500 |
|
|
|
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL |
$500 |
$500 |
| PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION |
|
|
| DEPARTMENT TOTALS |
2007-08 |
2008-09 |
|
|
|
|
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
|
$500 |
$500 |
|
|
|
| DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS |
$500 |
$500 |
| SECTION TOTALS |
2007-08 |
2008-09 |
|
|
|
|
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
|
$0 |
$0 |
|
|
|
| SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS |
$0 |
$0 |
’
Amend the bill by inserting at the end before the summary the following:
‘Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect July 1, 2007.’
summary
This amendment adds an emergency preamble and clause to the bill and provides for an effective date of July 1, 2007. It amends the list of entities that are eligible to receive distributions from the Renewable Resource Fund for community demonstration projects to add quasi-municipal corporations and districts and to clarify terminology and definitions. The amendment also adds a requirement that the Public Utilities Commission make an annual report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters regarding the Renewable Resource Fund and activities funded by the fund.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)