131st MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 327		LR 1979(02)
	An Act to Provide Maine Ratepayers with Equitable Access to Interconnection of Distributed Energy Resources
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
			FY 2023-24	FY 2024-25	Projections  FY 2025-26	Projections  FY 2026-27
Appropriations/Allocations
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$244,515	$138,094	$142,005	$146,040
Revenue
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$110,210	$0	$0	$0
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill creates an Interconnection Ombudsman position within the Public Utilities Commission(PUC) to be funded by a combination of fees assessed on persons seeking interconnection, federal funding sources and other private and public funds. The bill includes allocations of $133,805 to the PUC beginning in the fiscal year 2023-24 to establish one Utility Analyst position to serve as the Ombudsman position and associated costs. The bill includes allocations of $500 beginning in fiscal year 2023-24 to establish the PUC-Interconnection Omsbudman Fund to receive revenues from interconnection fees once they are established through rulemaking conducted by the PUC.
	The bill also requires the PUC to utilize contracted services to evaluate how distributed generation resources are used within the tariff program. The bill includes one-time allocations of $110,210 to the PUC in fiscal year 2023-24 for the cost of the contracted services. Since the PUC is funded by assessments on impacted utilities set to produce sufficient revenue for the expenditures needed to operate it,  the one-time allocations in this bill require a corresponding one-time increase in revenue from those assessments.