Maine
Public Utilities Commission
NEWS RELEASE
Maine
Public Utilities Commission
242 State Street
Augusta, Maine 04333-0018
Website: http://www.state.me.us/mpuc/,
Email: maine.puc@state.me.us
CONTACT: Phillip Lindley, 207.287.1598, phil.lindley@state.me.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2002
Maine PUC Approves Interim
Conservation Programs and Funding
Monday, June 10, 2002, the Maine Public Utilities Commission made its first decisions in response to the Conservation Act enacted during the most recent legislative session (P.L. 2001, chapter 624). The PUC approved goals and funding for interim conservation programs and ordered that the levels of funding for conservation which are already included in the rates of the major Maine electric utilities should remain unchanged pending more comprehensive review. In addition, the PUC decided that funds collected but unspent in recent years would be made available for current and future conservation programs.
The PUC also approved the following six interim conservation programs for immediate implementation, and the 1½ year budget ending 12/2003:
· Low-income refrigerator replacement program ($300,000)
· Building Operator Certification (BOC) program ($168,000)
· State building program ($1,500,000)
· Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) conservation loan capitalization ($200,000)
· Maine Energy Education Program (MEEP) funding ($50,000)
· Maine energy curriculum investigation ($10,000)
In addition, the PUC determined that a residential energy efficiency lighting program and a new school construction program should be implemented after the development of additional program details, for an aggregate 1½ year budget of $2,500,000. Finally, the PUC decided that three programs should be investigated further (aggregate 1½ year budget of $3,000,000): a small business prescriptive rebate program, a low-income lighting program, and a large commercial/industrial program.
The PUC chose these programs because they provide benefits to a wide range of customer groups, they can be implemented quickly, and they are highly likely to be cost-effective under criteria used for many years to evaluate l conservation programs. The cost-effectiveness criteria guarantee that the amount consumers spend for conservation is less than the amount consumers would pay to generate electricity for the same consumer value.
PUC Chairman, Thomas L. Welch, stated, “We appreciate the active participation of so many parties in guiding us to interim conservation programs that will benefit Maine electricity consumers. While many difficult and complex issues need to be resolved before we have fully implemented the new electricity conservation law, we believe that we have been able, even for the interim programs, to conform closely to the legislative intent.”
Currently, Central Maine Power Company (CMP), Maine’s largest electric utility, collects about 0.15 cents per kilowatt-hour (on average) in its rates to fund conservation programs. Bangor Hydro-Electric (BHE) and Maine Public Service (MPS) collect about 0.03 cents per kilowatt-hour. The approved funding level will generate as much as $4 million in 2002 and $6.5 million in 2003. The PUC concluded that using prior years’ unspent conservation collections for new programs would best accomplish the intent of the Conservation Act. It further concluded that maintaining the current collection level until further study is carried out would allow for a reasonable level of interim conservation programs while allowing rates to remain at current levels.
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For more information: See Docket Number 2002-161, http://www.state.me.us/mpuc/.
All PUC New Releases
maybe found on our website at: http://www.state.me.us/mpuc/newsreleases2002.htm
To arrange an interview with Chairman Welch or Commissioners Nugent or Diamond, please contact Phillip Lindley at 207.287.1598 or by e-mail at phil.lindley@state.me.us. The Commission’s website may be accessed through the Maine School and Library Network at all public libraries in Maine.