Energy committee crafts compromise omnibus bill
The Legislature's Energy, Technology and Utilities Committee has merged nine different energy proposals into one bill that balances Gov. Paul LePage's calls for reduced energy costs and natural gas expansion with Democratic leaders' calls for energy efficiency investments.
But the Portland Press Herald reported the governor is still not pleased with the bipartisan proposal.
The Bangor Daily News reported that the bill would hand management of a new program to the Efficiency Maine Trust to provide homeowners rebates for converting from oil heat to other sources — like wood pellets, natural gas or propane.
To expand natural gas infrastructure, Rep. Kenneth Fredette, R-Newport, previously proposed forming a new state agency. The bill unveiled Tuesday instead would allow the state to issue bonds through the Finance Authority of Maine to finance natural gas pipelines. It would also allow the state's Pubic Utilities Commission to ink contracts with companies to expand pipelines in the state and to require companies with existing pipelines to allow new connections, for which the company would be compensated.
The proposal also would redirect around $6.6 million, or one-third, of the funds Maine gets from a regional cap-and-trade program to provide rebates to homeowners switching off oil heat systems. The LePage administration wants all the funds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to finance heating-system conversions.
The committee's House chairman, Rep. Barry Hobbins, said he wants the committee to vote on the bill and send it to the full Legislature early next week.
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