‘Resolve, To Quantify and Ensure Actual Ratepayer Benefits from the Deployment of Advanced Metering Infrastructure’
| SP0075 LD 229 |
Session - 128th Maine Legislature C "A", Filing Number S-176, Sponsored by
|
LR 667 Item 2 |
|
| Bill Tracking, Additional Documents | Chamber Status | ||
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘Resolve, To Quantify and Ensure Actual Ratepayer Benefits from the Deployment of Advanced Metering Infrastructure’
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. Public Utilities Commission evaluation. Resolved: That the Public Utilities Commission shall quantify the total accrued costs and benefits to ratepayers and taxpayers of advanced metering infrastructure from the initial purchase and deployment of advanced metering infrastructure to the effective date of this resolve. The commission shall identify barriers to achieving benefits from the deployment of advanced metering technology and propose solutions to ensure that advanced metering infrastructure deployed by transmission and distribution utilities benefit ratepayers and taxpayers, reduce costs and advance the State's smart grid policy goals set out in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 3143, subsection 3. The commission shall also evaluate the fee imposed on customers that decline the installation of advanced metering infrastructure and instead choose to continue to use an electromechanical meter. The commission shall consider a discount to be provided to customers that install advanced metering infrastructure rather than imposing a fee to those customers that decline the installation of advanced metering infrastructure.
The commission shall submit a report, including any recommendations, to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology by January 30, 2018. The committee may report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 128th Legislature based on the report.
For the purposes of this section, "electromechanical meter" means a meter used to measure electricity consumption that is not a wireless smart meter.’
SUMMARY
This amendment is the minority report of the committee and replaces the bill. It requires the Public Utilities Commission to quantify the costs and benefits of advanced metering infrastructure from the initial purchase and deployment to the effective date of the resolve. It requires the commission to identify barriers to achieving benefits of advanced metering infrastructure and to propose solutions to realize benefits such as reducing costs and advancing state policy. It also requires the commission to consider providing a discount to customers that use advanced metering infrastructure instead of an electromechanical meter, rather than charging a fee to those customers that decline the installation of advanced metering infrastructure. The commission is directed to submit a report, including recommendations, to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology by January 30, 2018.