Senate adopts amendment and advances bill requiring utility participation in regional transmission organization

The Maine Senate on March 25 advanced legislation that would require transmission and distribution utilities in Maine to participate in a regional transmission organization (RTO).

Senator Lawrence introduced Senate Amendment S-585 to Committee Amendment A and described the change briefly on the floor: "This amendment simply strips the emergency off the bill," removing the bill's emergency preamble (SEG 903'906). The chamber adopted Committee Amendment A as amended and, under suspension of the rules, gave the bill a second reading by title only and ordered it passed to engrossment and sent down for concurrence.

The bill was described on the floor as "An act to require main transmission and distribution utility participation in regional transmission organization," and senators proceeded under the Senate's rules to adopt the committee and senate amendments and vote to advance the measure toward final enactment.

The chair noted the bill's procedural status and that, having received two separate readings under suspension of the rules, it was forwarded as amended for concurrence in the House.