Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. PL 2013, c. 369, Pt. A, §27, sub-§3 is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
3. Fiscal years 2016-17 to 2019-20. Beginning with fiscal year 2016-17 and continuing through fiscal year 2019-20, the Public Utilities Commission shall require the payment of 50% of settlement funds received by a transmission and distribution utility to the Efficiency Maine Trust to be used by the trust, as determined by the Efficiency Maine Trust Board, for measures, investments, loans, arrangements and technical assistance to assist low-income residential electric utility customers in making energy efficiency improvements to residential buildings and upgrades to efficient heating systems that will reduce both overall residential energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The commission shall require the payment of 50% of settlement funds to be used to reduce the transmission and distribution utility's rates in a manner that provides maximum benefit to the economy of the State.
Sec. 2. PL 2013, c. 369, Pt. A, §27, sub-§4 is enacted to read:
4. After fiscal year 2019-20. After fiscal year 2019-20, the Public Utilities Commission shall require the remaining settlement funds to be used to reduce a transmission and distribution utility's rates in a manner that provides maximum benefit to the economy of the State.’
This is the minority report of the committee and replaces the bill. This amendment amends Public Law 2013, chapter 369 to require the Public Utilities Commission to distribute 50% of funds received by transmission and distribution utilities pursuant to litigation with the United States Department of Energy concerning decommissioning costs related to Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company to the Efficiency Maine Trust from fiscal year 2016-17 to fiscal year 2019-20. The amendment requires that settlement funds received by the trust be used for measures, investments, loans, arrangements and technical assistance to assist low-income residential electric utility customers with energy efficiency improvements to residential buildings and upgrades to efficient heating systems that will reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The amendment also specifies that the other 50% of the settlement funds must be used to reduce a transmission and distribution utility's rates in a manner that provides maximum benefit to the economy of the State. Lastly, the amendment specifies that after fiscal year 2019-20 the commission shall require the remaining funds to be used to reduce a transmission and distribution utility's rates in a manner that provides maximum benefit to the economy of the State.