Maine: Community Based Renewable Energy Production Incentive (Pilot Program)

In June 2009, Maine established the Community-based Renewable Energy Pilot Program. As the name suggests, this program is intended to encourage the development of locally owned, in-state renewable energy resources.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) finalized the rules in February 2010. Legislation mandates that up to 50 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity (DC) will be permitted under the program, and individual participants may not exceed 10 MW. Of the 50 MW cap, 10 MW must be reserved specifically for small program participants (with generating capacity less than 100 kW) or for participants located in a service territory of a cooperative transmission and distribution utility.

To be eligible for incentives, a generating facility must be 51% locally owned, use renewable energy resources (solar, wind, hydro, certain biomass, fuel cells, and tidal), be no larger than 10 MW in generating capacity, and be located in the State. Qualifying local owners include individuals, state and local government entities, federally recognized Indian tribes, nonprofit corporations organized under laws of the state, and business entities organized in the state with 51% local ownership. Furthermore, a community-based renewable energy project 100 kilowatts (kW) or greater must provide documentation of support from the municipality or tribe (where applicable) in which the project will be located. All projects must be grid-connected and put into service after September 1, 2009. Community-based renewable energy projects petition the PUC for certification and subsequent participation on the pilot program.

Program participants will have a choice of one of two following incentive options:

Long-term contracts

The PUC may require investor-owned utilities to enter into long-term contracts for energy, capacity resources, or renewable energy credits (RECs) produced by the community-based project (participation by cooperative utilities is voluntary). The contract term may not exceed 20 years. The PUC will conduct long-term contract solicitations for "large generators" (1 MW or greater). For these generators, the average price within each contract year may not exceed $0.10/kWh and it may not exceed the cost of the project plus a reasonable rate of return on investment. The contract price for "small" solar, wind, and hydro generators (less than 1 MW) will be $0.10/kWh. These small generators will contact their utility directly and present their community-based certification as well as the preferred contract terms. The utility will provide a standard contract (developed by the PUC, see Docket No. 2010-118 from March 2011) to the developer, and then submit a copy to the PUC.

Renewable energy credit multiplier

The value of a community-based generated renewable energy credit (REC) is 150% of the amount of the electricity. If the program participant chooses this incentive, the multiplier must be accounted for when the RECs are used to satisfy Maine's Renewables Energy Portfolio Standard.

The Maine PUC issued its Report on Community-Based Renewable Energy Pilot Program evaluation of the program to the legislature in January 2011.

As of January 2012, five projects totally approximately 24 MW have been approved for this program (four wind projects and one anaerobic digester).