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130th MAINE LEGISLATURE |
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LD 2010 |
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LR 2606(04) |
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Resolve, To Help
Certain Businesses with Electricity Costs |
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Fiscal Note for
Senate Amendment " " to Committee Amendment "A" |
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Sponsor: Pres. Jackson of Aroostook |
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Fiscal Note Required: Yes |
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| Fiscal Note |
| Current biennium cost increase - American Recovery Plan Act
(ARPA) Funds |
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FY 2021-22 |
FY 2022-23 |
Projections FY 2023-24 |
Projections FY 2024-25 |
| Net Cost
(Savings) |
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General Fund |
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$0 |
($8,549,500) |
$0 |
$0 |
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| Appropriations/Allocations |
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Other Special Revenue Funds |
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$0 |
($8,549,000) |
$500 |
$500 |
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| Transfers |
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General Fund |
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$0 |
$8,549,500 |
$0 |
$0 |
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Other Special Revenue Funds |
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$0 |
($8,549,500) |
$0 |
$0 |
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| Fiscal Detail
and Notes |
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This amendment
eliminates the transfer from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund
to the Treasurer of State in fiscal year 2022-23 to pay for energy rate
relief payments. It also shifts the responsibility for determining the amount
of the payments from the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to the Department
of Economic and Community Development (DECD). |
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The amendment
replaces the methodology for determining the amount of relief payments in the
committee amendment and instead requires the DECD to use a tiered structure
of kilowatt-hour usage reflected on a customer's February 2022 invoice and
the number of eligible customers identified by each covered utility. The DECD has indicated that it will use
$7.0 million in existing funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of
2021 already allocated to the DECD in Public Law 2021, chapter 483 to provide
the relief payments. The amount to be credited to each eligible customers
bill will depend on 1) the individual's usage; 2) the total number of
eligible customers identified by the covered utilities; and 3) the $7.0 million
in ARPA funds to be used for this purpose. |
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This amendment
includes a base Other Special Revenue Funds allocation of $500 in fiscal year
2022-23 to a newly established Energy Rate Relief Fund within the DECD to
allow expenditure of any funds received to facilitate energy rate relief
payments to eligible customers of a consumer-owned transmission and
distribution utility. Additional costs to the PUC and the DECD associated
with administering the program can be absorbed within existing budgeted
resources. |
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