Resolve, Establishing the Commission To Study the Economic, Environmental and Energy Benefits of the Maine Biomass Industry

Sec. 1. Commission to Study the Economic, Environmental and Energy Benefits of the Maine Biomass Industry established. Resolved: That the Commission to Study the Economic, Environmental and Energy Benefits of the Maine Biomass Industry, referred to in this resolve as "the commission," is established; and be it further

Sec. 2. Membership. Resolved: That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, the commission consists of 15 members appointed as follows:

1. Two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, including a member from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature;

2. Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House, including a member from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature;

3. Four members appointed by the President of the Senate as follows:

4. Four members appointed by the Speaker of the House as follows:

5. The Director of the Efficiency Maine Trust or the director's designee; and

6. The chair of the Public Utilities Commission or the chair's designee; and be it further

Sec. 3. Commission chairs. Resolved: That the first-named Senator is the Senate chair of the commission and the first-named member of the House of Representatives is the House chair of the commission; and be it further

Sec. 4. Appointments; convening of commission. Resolved: That all appointments must be made no later than 30 days following the effective date of this resolve. The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the Legislative Council once all appointments have been made. When the appointment of all members has been completed, the chairs of the commission shall call and convene the first meeting of the commission. If 30 days or more after the effective date of this resolve a majority of but not all appointments have been made, the chairs may request authority and the Legislative Council may grant authority for the commission to meet and conduct its business; and be it further

Sec. 5. Duties. Resolved: That the commission shall:

1. Review and evaluate the economic, environmental and energy benefits of Maine's biomass resources, as well as public policy and economic proposals to create and maintain a sustainable future for the Maine biomass industry;

2. Consider the interconnection of economic markets for biomass and forest products and the energy policy of the State;

3. Consider whether the environmental, economic and energy benefits of biomass support updating the State's energy policy to strengthen and increase the role that biomass and the forest products industry play throughout the State;

4. Consider the costs of implementing any recommendations and the effect of leaving current policies in place; and

5. Examine any other issues to further the purposes of the study.

In conducting the duties under this section, the commission shall seek public input from individuals, loggers, landowners, the forest products industry, consumers of biomass resources, biomass energy generators and municipal and economic development officials from communities supported by biomass and forest products and shall consult and collaborate with stakeholders and experts in the fields of economic development, natural resources and energy policy; and be it further

Sec. 6. Meetings. Resolved: That the commission shall hold at least 4 meetings; and be it further

Sec. 7. Staff assistance. Resolved: That the Legislative Council shall provide staffing services to the commission except that the commission shall employ a 3rd party to help with data collection, research and best practices and to develop policy recommendations in collaboration with the commission. The commission may invite the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Public Utilities Commission, the Office of the Public Advocate, the Governor's Energy Office, the Efficiency Maine Trust, the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and other appropriate agencies of State Government to provide additional staff support or assistance to the commission. Funding for the commission must be derived from federal funds provided by the United States Department of Energy to the Governor's Energy Office; and be it further

Sec. 8. Report. Resolved: That the commission shall submit a report and any suggested implementing legislation for presentation to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology and the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry no later than December 6, 2016.

summary

This resolve establishes the Commission to Study the Economic, Environmental and Energy Benefits of the Maine Biomass Industry. Membership of the commission consists of, among others, Legislators, a wood harvester and representatives of the biomass energy generation industry, a sawmill, the pulp and paper industry and users of biomass energy. The commission is required to examine and evaluate the economic, environmental and energy benefits of Maine's biomass resources, as well as public policy and economic proposals to create and maintain a sustainable future for the Maine biomass industry, and determine whether the environmental, economic and energy benefits of biomass support updating the State's energy policy to strengthen and increase the role that biomass and the forest products industry play throughout the State. The commission is required to report the results of its study and any recommendations by December 6, 2016 to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology and the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.