Lawmakers hear proposal for Efficiency Maine pilot to lower household bills by shifting summer peak use

A bipartisan panel of lawmakers on the Legislature's Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee heard testimony on LD 21 40 on Tuesday, a bill sponsor Denise Tepler described as a replacement amendment that creates a pilot program through the Efficiency Maine Trust to reduce household energy costs and summer peak demand.

The sponsor said the amendment replaces an original tax‑credit approach and instead directs Efficiency Maine to run an "opt‑in" behavioral demand‑response pilot, focusing on outreach and education to help qualifying customers shift consumption away from summer peak hours. "There are already several substantial rebates offered to Maine residents through Efficiency Maine," Tepler told the committee, and the pilot aims to make relief immediate and accessible rather than delayed until a later tax year.

Ian Burns, director of strategic initiatives at Efficiency Maine Trust, told members the program will emphasize behavior change — not equipment purchases — and that the trust is still designing incentives. Burns gave a concrete example of potential savings, saying the difference between on‑peak and off‑peak rates for some devices can be "5 or 6¢ a kilowatt hour," a gap that could be sufficient motivation for customers who can shift loads such as dishwashers or dehumidifiers.

The Office of the Public Advocate, represented by Heather Sanborn, urged support for an opt‑in marketing approach and for active utility participation so that customer data can inform outreach and recruitment. "We need the utilities to be enthusiastic partners," Sanborn said, arguing the approach can reduce both individual bills and systemwide costs by reducing the need for oversized grid investments.

The Department of Energy Resources and the Public Utilities Commission both testified they are pursuing related work — including solicitations and regulatory dockets on time‑of‑use rates, critical peak pricing and regulatory sandboxes — and cautioned that a separate pilot may be duplicative if it slows near‑term implementation under existing authority. Utilities including Versant Power and Central Maine Power told the committee they already offer time‑of‑use or eco rates and that they will cooperate with Efficiency Maine, though CMP noted some customer‑class analyses will need time and resources.

Committee members pressed for clarification on several points: whether EMT can run the pilot without legislation, how incentives would be structured, how the pilot would protect participants from paying more under TOU options, and how the pilot's results would be integrated into grid planning. Burns said EMT has authority to run such programs but that legislative direction would prioritize the work and formalize collaboration with utilities and stakeholders.

The committee scheduled a work session on LD 21 40 and asked Efficiency Maine to return with concrete program examples, evidence of national successes and failures, specific incentive designs, and a plan for reporting outcomes to the committee. The hearing concluded without a vote.

The sponsor and Efficiency Maine said a work session will include director Michael Stoddard and other EMT staff for detailed follow‑up.