95- 648 C.M.R. ch. 2, § 2

Current through 2024-51, December 18, 2024

Section 648-2-2 - DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this Chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

A. Administrative Costs. "Administrative Costs" means costs of the Trust and the Department that are incurred pursuant to 35-A M.R.S.A. § 10008 including but not limited to costs of program planning and oversight, costs of securing necessary expertise, costs associated with contract formation and administration, costs of monitoring and costs of enforcing contractual obligations.

B. Applicant. "Applicant" means an individual, business, organization, agency or any other entity that submits an application for funding from the Trust Fund administered by the Trust in response to an RFP or PON.

C. Bid. "Bid" means a response to an RFP or PON issued by the Trust.

D. Bidder. "Bidder" means a person or entity that submits a bid.

E. Carbon Dioxide Allowance. "Carbon Dioxide Allowance" means a limited authorization by the Department for the emission of up to one ton of carbon dioxide.

F. Carbon Dioxide Budget Unit. "Carbon Dioxide Budget Unit" means a fossil fuel fired generating unit that serves a generator with a nameplate capacity equal to or greater than 25 megawatts.

G. Collateral Efficiency Opportunity. "Collateral Efficiency Opportunity" means one or more efficiency measures, in addition to a primary measure to be installed at a customer location or building site, that has a positive benefit-to-cost ratio pursuant to section 5 of this Chapter and that can reasonably be installed at the same time and at lower cost than would otherwise occur, provided there is a physical, mechanical or other substantial nexus between the primary measure and the collateral efficiency opportunity.

H. Commission. "Commission" means the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

I. Cost Effectiveness Criteria. "Cost Effectiveness Criteria" are tests employed by the Trust in determining whether a project or program expenditure is cost effective, pursuant to section 3(D) of this Chapter.

J. Customer Class. "Customer Class" means one of the categories of end-use customers of a transmission and distribution utility.

K. Department. "Department" means the Department of Environmental Protection, State of Maine.

L. Efficiency Maine. "Efficiency Maine" means electricity conservation programs as administered pursuant to 35-A M.R.S.A. §3211-A.

M. Electricity Conservation Program. "Electricity Conservation Program" means a set of services, measures and/or incentives funded by the Trust that reliably reduces the consumption of electricity in the State.

N. Forward Capacity Market. "Forward Capacity Market" means the program that presently is in effect that compensates providers of electrical capacity with payments for the availability or reduction of capacity requirements as determined by the regional transmission organization.

O. Fossil Fuel. "Fossil Fuel" means natural gas, petroleum, coal or any form of solid, liquid or gaseous material derived from such material.

P. Fossil Fuel Conservation Program. "Fossil Fuel Conservation Program" means a set of services, measures and/or incentives funded by the Trust that reliably reduces greenhouse gas production by the combustion or distribution of fossil fuels through energy efficiency and conservation.

Q. Grantee. "Grantee" means the recipient of Trust funding by means of a grant from the Trust.

R. Maine Energy Conservation Board. "Maine Energy Conservation Board" means the board established pursuant to 35-A M.R.S.A. § 10007 to assist in the development, coordination and integration of planning for the State's energy conservation efforts and to provide advice and counsel to the Commission and the Trust on carbon dioxide reduction matters.

S. Measure. "Measure" means a device or application that is installed resulting in an improvement in the efficiency of energy consumption and/or a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

T. Office of Energy Independence and Security. "Office of Energy Independence and Security" means the office established pursuant to 2 M.R.S.A. §9.

U. Program Administrator. "Program Administrator" means the employee or other designee of the Trust designated to administer contracts between the Trust and service providers and other vendors and consultants.

V. Program Opportunity Notice. "Program Opportunity Notice" or "PON" means a document in which the Trust identifies a market sector, geographic area or technology type and solicits proposals from applicants for cost-effective electricity or fossil fuel conservation programs targeted at that sector, area or technology.

W. Project. "Project" means a proposal for achieving kilowatt-hour or emission reductions that is customized to achieve efficiencies at a single location or facility and that seeks Trust funds in excess of $75,000 unless this limitation is waived by the trustees for good cause.

X. Proposal. "Proposal" has the same meaning herein as the term "bid".

Y. Regional Organization. "Regional Organization" means the entity that manages the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative on a regional basis and with which the Department contracts for related service.

Z. Regional Transmission Organization. "Regional Transmission Organization" means the independent system operator that administers and oversees the wholesale electric markets in which the State participates.

AA. Request for Proposal. "Request for Proposal" or "RFP" means a document in which the Trust lists: the scope of work for a requested service, such as a program or a project; other requirements of the Trust; and the technical and bid evaluation criteria for selection of a grantee.

BB. Service Provider. "Service Provider" means a public or private provider of energy conservation services funded by the Trust or an entity selected by the Trust to contract with such providers or otherwise arrange for the delivery of electricity or fossil fuel conservation programs

CC. Trade Association Aggregator. "Trade Association Aggregator" means an entity that gathers individual members of a trade association together for the purpose of receiving electrical efficiency services or bidding on electrical efficiency contracts.

DD. Transmission and Distribution Utility. "Transmission and Distribution Utility" means a transmission and distribution utility as defined in 35-A M.R.S.A. §3201, §§ 6, 12 or 16.

EE. Triennial Energy Efficiency Plan. "Triennial Energy Efficiency Plan" or "Triennial Plan" means a plan adopted pursuant to 35-A M.R.S.A. §10007(6).

FF. Trust. "Trust" means the Energy and Carbon Savings Trust established pursuant to 35-A M.R.S.A. § 10008.

GG. Trust Fund. "Trust Fund" means the fund established to implement the Trust.

HH. Trustee. "Trustee" means a trustee of the Trust.

95- 648 C.M.R. ch. 2, § 2