131st MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1347		LR 1811(02)
	An Act to Eliminate the Current Net Energy Billing Policy in Maine
	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		$386,235	$500	$500	$500
Revenue
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$385,735	$0	$0	$0
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill makes certain adjustments to the Net Energy Billing Program rules and institutes new reporting requirements for the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regarding the program activities. The bill also establishes the Distributed Solar and Energy Storage Program within the Governor's Energy Office (GEO). The GEO is required to obtain any available federal funding to fund the program, but the bill allows the GEO to request funding from the PUC Reimbursement Fund for administrative expenses. The fiscal note assumes that the funding will come from the PUC Reimbursement Fund and the bill includes Other Special Revenue Funds allocations of $500 to establish the program and allow funding from that source to be expended.
	The PUC has indicated that provisions of this bill will require additional activities that are unable to be absorbed within existing resources. The bill provides a one-time allocation of $385,735 in fiscal year 2023-24 for contracted consulting services. Since the PUC is funded by assessments on impacted utilities set to produce sufficient revenue for the expenditures needed to operate, the increased allocations in this bill will require a corresponding increase in revenue from those assessments.