Maine 2023-2024 Regular Session

Maine Senate Bill LD2163 Latest Draft

Bill / Chaptered Version

                            Page 1 - 131LR2863(04)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR
_____
S.P. 918 - L.D. 2163
An Act to Require Consumer Consent for Certain Generation Service 
Contract Renewals
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  35-A MRSA §3203, sub-§4-B, as amended by PL 2023, c. 375, §1, is 
further amended to read:
4-B.  Residential consumer protections. 
electricity provider that provides or proposes to provide generation service to a residential 
consumer:
A.  Shall disclose, before entering into an agreement to provide service to a residential 
consumer, to the residential consumer where the residential consumer can obtain 
information with which to compare the service provided by the competitive electricity 
provider and the standard-offer service;
B.  May not renew a contract for generation service without providing a residential 
consumer with notice of renewal in advance by mail;
C.  May not renew a contract for generation service at a fixed rate that is 20% or more 
above the contract rate in the expiring contract without the express consent of the 
residential consumer; if the renewal rate is a fixed rate that is:
(1)  Twenty percent or more above the contract rate in the expiring contract; or
(2)  Greater than the fixed rate that would, at the time of the residential consumer's 
contract renewal, be offered by the competitive electricity provider to customers 
enrolling with the provider for an initial contract of a similar term and product 
offering;
C-1.  May not renew a contract for generation service at a variable rate without the 
express consent of the residential consumer if the expiring contract provided generation 
service at a fixed rate;
D.  May not renew a contract for generation service for a term that is longer than differs 
from the term of the expiring contract or 12 months, whichever is shorter, without the 
express consent of the residential consumer; and
APPROVED
APRIL 16, 2024
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
636
PUBLIC LAW Page 2 - 131LR2863(04)
E.  May not enter into or renew a contract for generation service that includes an early 
termination fee.
If a residential consumer does not provide the express consent required by paragraphs C, 
C-1 and D, the residential consumer must be transferred to standard-offer service.