HP1160
LD 1632
Second Regular Session - 124th Maine Legislature
 
Text: MS-Word, RTF or PDF
LR 2349
Item 1
Bill Tracking Chamber Status

An Act To Establish Biofuel and Ultra-low Sulfur Requirements for Number 2 Home Heating Oil

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 10 MRSA §1663  is enacted to read:

§ 1663 Biofuel and ultra-low sulfur requirements for heating oil

1 Definitions.   As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
A "Biofuel" has the same meaning as in Title 36, section 5219-X, subsection 1.
B "Number 2 heating oil" means fuel oil classified as number 2 according to ASTM Standard Specification for Classification of Fuel Oils by ASTM D396-84 that is used in residential, commercial or industry heating applications.
C "Ultra-low sulfur content heating fuel" means number 2 heating oil that has a sulfur content of no more than 15 parts per million.
2 Biofuel requirements.   The biofuel requirements in this subsection apply to number 2 heating oil sold in the State.
A Beginning July 1, 2011, a person may not sell number 2 heating oil for use in the State unless it contains at least 2% biofuel.
B After the first calendar year in which annual production of biofuel in the State is at least 20,000,000 gallons, a person may not sell number 2 heating oil for use in the State unless it contains at least 5% biofuel.
C After the first calendar year in which annual production of biofuel in the State is at least 40,000,000 gallons, a person may not sell number 2 heating oil for use in the State unless it contains at least 10% biofuel.
D If the price of number 2 heating oil meeting the biofuel requirement in this subsection exceeds by 20% or more the price of number 2 heating oil that does not meet the biofuel requirement, the Governor may issue a waiver of the biofuel requirement.
3 Ultra-low sulfur content requirement.   The ultra-low sulfur content requirement in this subsection applies to number 2 heating oil sold in the State.
A Beginning July 1, 2011, a person may not sell number 2 heating oil for use in the State unless it is ultra-low sulfur content heating fuel.
B The Governor may issue a waiver to the ultra-low sulfur content requirement in this subsection if:

(1) There is not a sufficient supply of ultra-low sulfur content heating fuel in the State; or

(2) The price of ultra-low sulfur content heating fuel in the State exceeds by 20% or more the price of number 2 heating oil that has a sulfur content over 15 parts per million.

summary

This bill requires that, beginning July 1, 2011, heating fuel sold for use in the State must have a sulfur content of no more than 15 parts per million and must contain at least 2% biofuel. As production of biofuel in the State increases, the percentage of biofuel required also increases. The bill also authorizes the Governor to waive the ultra-low sulfur and biofuel requirements.


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