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Bill to shift long‑range grid planning to DOER draws mixed reaction; sponsor seeks IGP adopted as statewide planning baseline
Summary
LD 2113 would require the Department of Energy Resources to develop a 10‑year integrated grid plan (IGP) to be adopted by the PUC and used as a consistency baseline for future rate and capital filings; supporters said it would prioritize non‑wire alternatives and affordability, while utilities and PUC urged finishing the current IGP cycle and warned of duplication and technical capacity issues.
Representative Jerry Ronte presented LD 2113, which would require the Department of Energy Resources to develop a 10‑year long‑range Integrated Grid Plan (IGP) and seek adoption by the Public Utilities Commission; subsequent utility rate filings and capital plans would then need to demonstrate consistency with the adopted statewide plan.
The sponsor argued utility‑led planning emphasizes reliability and capital recovery rather than affordability and non‑wire alternatives. "By assigning the IGP development to the Department of Energy Resources, 21‑13 ensures that affordability, demand‑side solutions, climate risk, and alternatives that reduce or defer capital investment are considered on equal footing," the sponsor said.
DOER and the Public Advocate said the first round of utility IGP filings — recently submitted by Central Maine Power and Versant Power — should be reviewed and lessons learned before making structural changes. DOER staff said they are reviewing the hundreds of pages filed and would welcome collaborating with the sponsor on refinements; the Office of the Public Advocate urged iterative planning rather than static plans that can be quickly out of date.
Utilities and the Public Utilities Commission raised multiple concerns. Craig Nall (Central Maine Power) and James Cody (Versant Power) said the statutory process set out in 2022 prompted extensive public input and that creating a parallel DOER plan could be duplicative, costly, and risk politicizing a process that should remain subject to independent adjudication by the PUC. Versant and CMP said system operations staff and engineers possess institutional knowledge that would be costly to replicate at DOER without significant consultant support.
The PUC said it is reviewing the newly filed IGPs and plans to assess whether any deficiencies exist; it recommended completing that review and the multiyear rate‑plan inquiry before layering new statutory requirements. The committee did not vote; discussions and a request for further work‑session review were recorded.
