§10103. Efficiency Maine Trust

1.  Establishment; purpose.  The Efficiency Maine Trust is established for the purposes of developing, planning, coordinating and implementing energy efficiency and alternative energy resources programs in the State to:

A. Provide uniform, integrated planning, program design and administration of programs pursuant to this chapter and any other provisions of law administered by the trust;   [PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, §3 (NEW).]

B. Reduce energy costs and improve security of the state and local economies. The trust shall administer cost-effective energy and energy efficiency programs consistent with applicable requirements of this chapter and other law to help individuals and businesses meet their energy needs at the lowest cost and generally to improve the economic security of the State by:

(1) Reducing the cost of energy to residents of the State;

(2) Maximizing the use of cost-effective weatherization and energy efficiency measures, including measures that improve the energy efficiency of energy-using systems, such as heating and cooling systems and system upgrades to energy efficient systems that rely on affordable energy resources;

(3) Reducing economic insecurity from the inefficient use of fossil fuels;

(4) Increasing new jobs and business development to deliver affordable energy and energy efficiency products and services;

(5) Enhancing heating improvements for households of all income levels through implementation of cost-effective efficiency programs, including weatherization programs and affordable heating systems, that will produce comfort, improve indoor air quality, reduce energy costs for those households and reduce the need for future fuel assistance;

(6) Simplifying and enhancing consumer access to technical assistance and financial incentives relating to energy efficiency and the use of alternative energy resources by merging or coordinating dispersed programs under a single administrative unit possessing independent management and expertise; and

(7) Using cost-effective energy and energy efficiency investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;   [PL 2013, c. 369, Pt. A, §3 (RPR).]

C. Ensure that all expenditures of the trust are cost-effective in terms of avoided energy costs as provided by rules adopted pursuant to section 10105, subsection 5, paragraph A; and   [PL 2009, c. 518, §7 (AMD).]

D. Actively promote investment in cost-effective energy and energy efficiency measures and systems that use energy resources that reduce overall energy costs for consumers in the State.   [PL 2013, c. 369, Pt. A, §4 (AMD).]

Nothing in this chapter is intended or may be construed to constitute a mandate that would prevent the sale of carbon emission reductions into a voluntary carbon market.

[PL 2013, c. 369, Pt. A, §§3, 4 (AMD).]

2.  Governance; board.  The trust is created as a body corporate and politic and a public instrumentality of the State and is governed by the independent Efficiency Maine Trust Board, established in Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 10-C, in accordance with this section.

A. The board consists of the following 9 voting members:

(1) The Director of the Governor's Energy Office;

(2) The director of the Maine State Housing Authority; and

(3) Seven members appointed by the Governor, reviewed by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy matters and approved by the Senate. Among these 7 members must be persons who adequately represent the interests of commercial energy consumers, industrial energy consumers, small business energy consumers, residential energy consumers and low-income energy consumers; among these members must be persons with knowledge of and experience in financial matters and consumer advocacy and who possess substantial management expertise or knowledge of or experience with conservation fund programs, carbon reduction programs or energy efficiency or climate change policy. The requirements of this subparagraph may be met through the appointment of one or more persons who satisfy more than one of the requirements, as long as at any one time the 7 members include among them members who adequately represent the identified interests and who possess the required knowledge, expertise and experience.

Appointed trustees serve 3-year terms. If an appointed trustee is unable to complete the term, the Governor shall appoint a replacement for the remainder of the unexpired term.   [PL 2013, c. 424, Pt. B, §14 (RPR).]

B. The board shall elect a chair, a vice-chair, a secretary and a treasurer from among the members. Each officer serves for a one-year term and is eligible for reelection.   [PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, §3 (NEW).]

C. A majority of the trustees constitutes a quorum.   [PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, §3 (NEW).]

D. The board may elect an executive committee of not fewer than 5 trustees who, in intervals between meetings of the board, may transact such business of the trust as the board may authorize from time to time.   [PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, §3 (NEW).]

[PL 2013, c. 424, Pt. B, §14 (AMD).]

3.  Administration of trust; director.  The board shall appoint, using a full and competitive search process, a qualified full-time director of the trust. The Director of the Efficiency Maine Trust serves at the pleasure of the board. The director must have demonstrated experience in the planning, design or delivery of energy efficiency programs or the management of organizations that plan, design or deliver those programs. The board shall establish the rate and amount of compensation of the director and all other employees of the trust. The director:

A. Serves as the president of the trust and as the liaison between the board and any committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy matters;   [PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, §3 (NEW).]

B. Is responsible for:

(1) Establishing an office for the trust;

(2) Hiring and organizing staff for the trust and determining their qualifications and duties; and

(3) Managing the trust's programs, services and staff and performing other duties as the board considers appropriate; and   [PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, §3 (NEW).]

C. May delegate to employees of the trust any powers and duties that the director considers proper.   [PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, §3 (NEW).]

[PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, §3 (NEW).]

4.  Program funding.  The board may apply for and receive grants from municipal, state, federal and private sources for deposit into appropriate program funds, including funds for both residential and business programs. The board may deposit in appropriate program funds the proceeds of any bonds issued for the purposes of programs administered by the trust. The board may receive and shall deposit in appropriate program funds revenue resulting from any forward capacity market or other capacity payments from the regional transmission organization that may be attributable to those projects funded by those funds, except that, from fiscal year 2019-20 to fiscal year 2024-25, such payments must be used to promote high-performance air source heat pump technology and deposited in the Heating Fuels Efficiency and Weatherization Fund established in section 10119. The board shall deposit into appropriate program funds revenue transferred to the trust from the energy infrastructure benefits fund pursuant to Title 5, section 282, subsection 9 for use in accordance with subsection 4-A. The board may also deposit any grants or other funds received by or from any entity with which the trust has an agreement or contract pursuant to this chapter if the board determines that receipt of those funds is consistent with the purposes of this chapter.

[PL 2019, c. 306, §2 (AMD).]

4-A.  Use of revenues from the energy infrastructure benefits fund.  The trust shall use revenues transferred to the trust from the energy infrastructure benefits fund pursuant to Title 5, section 282, subsection 9:

A. To improve the State's economy by pursuing lower energy costs for people, communities and businesses in a manner that will enhance the environment of the State in accordance with the triennial plan. In the expenditure of funds pursuant to this paragraph, the trust may provide grants, loans, programs and incentives; and   [PL 2013, c. 369, Pt. A, §6 (RPR).]

B. To compensate public members of the Interagency Review Panel pursuant to Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 30-D.   [PL 2009, c. 655, Pt. B, §4 (NEW).]

As part of the annual report required under section 10104, subsection 5, the director shall report on the use of revenues from the energy infrastructure benefits fund. The report must document the revenues transferred from the energy infrastructure benefits fund to the trust during the most recently completed fiscal year and the current fiscal year and amounts and uses of money expended by the trust in accordance with this subsection during the most recently completed and the current fiscal year.

[PL 2013, c. 369, Pt. A, §6 (AMD).]

5.  Administration fund.  The board shall establish an administration fund to be used solely to defray administrative costs. The trust may annually deposit funds authorized to be used for administrative costs under this chapter into the administration fund. Any interest on funds in the administration fund must be credited to the administration fund and any funds unspent in any fiscal year must either remain in the administration fund to be used to defray administrative costs or be transferred to program funds.

[PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, §3 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, §3 (NEW). PL 2009, c. 518, §7 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 655, Pt. B, §§3, 4 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 637, §2 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. MM, §18 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. MM, §26 (AFF). PL 2013, c. 369, Pt. A, §§3-6 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 424, Pt. B, §14 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 306, §2 (AMD).