March 29, 2017

WEEKLY NOTICES OF STATE RULE-MAKING
Public Input for Proposed and Adopted Rules

Notices are published each Wednesday to alert the public regarding state agency rule-making. You may obtain a copy of any rule by notifying the agency contact person. You may also comment on the rule, and/or attend the public hearing. If no hearing is scheduled, you may request one -- the agency may then schedule a hearing, and must do so if 5 or more persons request it. If you are disabled or need special services to attend a hearing, please notify the agency contact person at least 7 days prior to it. Petitions: you can petition an agency to adopt, amend, or repeal any rule; the agency must provide you with petition forms, and must respond to your petition within 60 days. The agency must enter rule-making if the petition is signed by 150 or more registered voters, and may begin rule-making if there are fewer. You can also petition the Legislature to review a rule; the Executive Director of the Legislative Council (115 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333, phone 207/287-1615) will provide you with the necessary petition forms. The appropriate legislative committee will review a rule upon receipt of a petition from 100 or more registered voters, or from "...any person who may be directly, substantially and adversely affected by the application of a rule..." (Title 5 Section 11112). World-Wide Web: Copies of the weekly notices and the full texts of adopted rule chapters may be found on the internet at: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules. There is also a list of rule-making liaisons, who are single points of contact for each agency.

PROPOSALS: none this week

 

ADOPTIONS

AGENCY: 65-407 - Public Utilities Commission (PUC)
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 313, Customer Net Energy Billing
ADOPTED RULE NUMBER: 2017-051
CONCISE SUMMARY: The Public Utilities Commission adopts amendments to the net energy billing rule (Ch. 313). Specifically, the Commission amends the rule to reduce over time the amount of a generation facility’s output that can offset, or be netted against, the transmission and distribution (T&D) utility portion of a customer’s bill. Netting regarding the supply portion of the customer bill remains unchanged. Under the amended rule, the phase down will apply to facility installations on or after January 1, 2018, and existing net energy billing customers will be grandfathered for a fifteen year period.
EFFECTIVE DATE: March 29, 2017
AGENCY CONTACT PERSON / PUC RULE-MAKING LIAISON: Jamie Waterbury, Public Utilities Commission, 18 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0018. Telephone: (207) 287-3831. E-mail: Jamie.A.Waterbury@Maine.gov .
PUC WEBSITE: http://www.maine.gov/mpuc/ .

AGENCY: 01-001 – Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) (with 01-015 - Maine Milk Commission (MMC))
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 61, Maine Milk Pool Cost of Administration
ADOPTED RULE NUMBER: 2017-052
CONCISE SUMMARY: Ch. 61, Maine Milk Pool Cost of Administration, is amended to reflect the estimated administrative costs of operating the pool for the remainder of calendar year 2017. The rate for 2017 will be $0.01/cwt.
EFFECTIVE DATE: April 9, 2017
MMC CONTACT PERSON / RULE-MAKING LIAISON: Tim Drake, Maine Milk Commission, 28 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. Telephone: (207) 287-7521. E-mail: Tim.Drake@Maine.gov .
DACF WEBSITE: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/index.shtml .
DACF RULE-MAKING LIAISON: Mari.Wells@Maine.gov .

AGENCY: 01-015 – Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF), Maine Milk Commission (MMC)
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 3, Schedule of Minimum Prices, Order #04-17
ADOPTED RULE NUMBER: 2017-053 (Emergency)
CONCISE SUMMARY: Minimum April 2017 Class I price is $19.30/cwt. plus $1.53/cwt. for Producer Margins, an over-order premium of $1.04/cwt. as being prevailing in Southern New England and $1.86/cwt. handling fee for a total of $23.93/cwt. that includes a $0.20/cwt. Federal promotion fee.
Minimum prices can be found at the MMC website: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/milkcommission/index.shtml .
EFFECTIVE DATE: April 2, 2017
AGENCY CONTACT PERSON / MMC RULE-MAKING LIAISON: Tim Drake, Maine Milk Commission, 28 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. Telephone: (207) 287-7521. E-mail: Tim.Drake@Maine.gov .
DACF RULE-MAKING LIAISON: Mari.Wells@Maine.gov .