An Act To Enable Low-income and Other Customers Greater Access To Efficient Electric Heat Pumps through Unique Financing and Third-party Installation and Maintenance
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3105 is enacted to read:
§ 3105. Heat pump program
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a transmission and distribution utility may develop and implement, upon approval of the commission, a program within its service territory to enable customers to access the benefits of efficient electric heat pumps as set forth in this section and may advertise the availability of its program to its customers. The program may serve any customer but must target low-income customers, senior citizens, customers who are unable to finance the purchase of a heat pump, customers who reside in rental dwellings and small businesses. For purposes of this section, "efficient electric heat pump" means an electric heat pump that is consistent with eligibility criteria of the Efficiency Maine Trust, as established in section 10103, or criteria established by the commission by rule if the Efficiency Maine Trust does not establish such criteria. Rules adopted by the commission pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
(1) If the participating customer is delinquent in payments under the program, the utility may undertake reasonable debt collection activities as approved by the commission and otherwise consistent with applicable law, but in no event may the customer's primary electric service be disconnected as a result of the customer's delinquency under the program nor may electric service to a heat pump serving as the only heating source for the customer be disconnected during the winter;
(2) The utility must allow participating customers to select a qualified 3rd-party heat pump seller and installer and must use qualified 3rd-party installers to maintain and repair the heat pumps provided to customers. To be qualified, an installer must be listed as a registered vendor by the Efficiency Maine Trust, as established in section 10103, for purposes of heat pump installations or determined qualified by the commission by rule if the Efficiency Maine Trust does not maintain a registry of vendors;
(3) The utility must provide participating customers with the option, through a plain language notice, to later buy the heat pump provided at reasonable terms approved by the commission;
(4) At any time, a participating customer may elect to have the customer's heat pump removed at no cost or penalty; and
(5) Before a customer elects to participate in the program, the customer must be provided a plain language notice comparing the costs of the program with the costs of directly purchasing a heat pump, including any applicable rebates or incentives available for purchasing such equipment.
Nothing in this section is intended to limit the authority of the commission to establish electric distribution rates for customers participating in a program under this section.
Sec. 2. PL 2011, c. 637, §11, as amended by PL 2013, c. 369, Pt. G, §§1 and 2, is repealed.