Section 648-3-3 - CONSERVATION PROGRAMSA.Criteria for Conservation Programs1. The Trust shall consider, without limitation, conservation programs that: (a) Increase consumer awareness of cost-effective options for conserving energy;(b) Create more favorable market conditions for the increased use of energy efficient products and services; and(c) Promote sustainable economic development and reduced environmental damage.(d) Reduce the price of electricity over time for all consumers by reducing or shifting demand for electricity or balancing load, including by the implementation of beneficial electrification and energy storage systems;(e) Reduce total energy costs for electricity consumers in the State by increasing the efficiency with which electricity is consumed; and(f) Are planned and implemented to advance the policy of beneficial electrification as described in the Beneficial Electrification Policy Act at title 35-A of Maine Revised Statutes, chapter 38.2. The Trust shall: (a) Target at least 10% of available program funds or $2.6 million, whichever is greater, to programs for low-income residential consumers;(b) Target at least 10% of available program funds or $2.6 million, whichever is greater, to programs for small business consumers;(c) To the greatest extent practicable, apportion remaining available funds among customer groups and geographic areas in a manner that allows all other customers to have a reasonable opportunity to participate in one or more conservation programs;(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this sub-section, the Trust may target funds received in the electric conservation program fund pursuant to § 5(C)(4) of this chapter, including any funds aimed at developing non-transmission or non-distribution alternatives, to a particular geographical location, customer class, or specific conservation opportunity so long as it is otherwise consistent with this Chapter and with the terms of the applicable grants or agreements.3. Programs shall be cost effective. Cost effectiveness tests are established in Section 4. B.Triennial Plan1. The staff shall develop and the Board shall vote to approve a detailed, triennial, energy efficiency, beneficial electrification, alternative energy resources and conservation plan and shall file the plan with the Commission in accordance with 35-A M.R.S.A. §10104(4). The Triennial Plan shall guide and authorize program activity for the three-year period beginning on July 1, 2019 and a new plan shall be developed and filed to authorize program activity for every subsequent three-year period.2. The Trust may request transmission and distribution utilities to furnish data to the Trust to develop and implement the Triennial Plan or to conduct the evaluation of all cost-effective potential for electrical conservation savings subject to such confidential treatment as appropriate pursuant to 35-A M.R.S.A. §10106 and to applicable protective orders issued by the Commission.3. The Triennial Plan shall include, but is not limited to, budget allocations, objectives, targets, performance metrics, program designs, program implementation strategies, timelines and other information relevant to the electric conservation program. It must reasonably explain how the program would achieve the objectives, implementation requirements, and performance metrics of the program.4. The electric conservation program described in the Triennial Plan shall reflect the purposes, goals and objectives established in 35-A M.R.S.A. §§10103, 10104 and 10110. The goals that the Triennial Plan is expected to advance are: (a) Reducing energy costs, including residential heating costs;(b) For the period beginning January 1, 2020 and ending January 1, 2030, weatherizing 35,000 homes and businesses, with at least 10,000 of such weatherization projects completed in low-income households through the combined efforts of the trust and the Maine State Housing Authority;(c) Reducing peak-load demand for electricity by the maximum achievable cost-effective amount;(d) Achieving the maximum achievable cost-effective electricity and natural gas program savings, as defined in and determined pursuant to the performance metrics approved by the commission under section 10120;(e) Creating stable private sector jobs providing alternative energy and energy efficiency products and services in the State;(f) Contributing to the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the State by amounts consistent with the greenhouse gas emission levels established in Title 38, section576-A and in a manner consistent with the State's climate action plan adopted and updated under Title 38, section577;(g) Promoting the purchase of high-efficiency heat pump systems to achieve by 2030 the goal of at least 115,000 households in the State wholly heated by heat pumps and an additional 130,000 households in the State partially heated by heat pumps; and(h) Promoting the purchase of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to achieve by 2030 the goal of at least 220,000 such vehicles registered in the State.5. The Trust staff shall develop the Triennial Plan with input from the Board, stakeholders, and the Legislature pursuant to the provisions of 35-A M.R.S.A. §10104(4). All interested persons will be invited to file written comments and suggestions pertaining to the Trust's proposed Triennial Plan. The Trust also will hold a public hearing for the purpose of receiving comments and suggestions. After reviewing the written and oral comments and suggestions, the Trust will adopt a Triennial Plan for conservation programs that will be submitted to the Commission for review and approval in an adjudicatory proceeding.C.Conservation Program Portfolio Requirements. The Trust shall develop and implement a portfolio of conservation programs that is consistent with the goals, objectives and strategies described in subsection 3(B), meets the cost effectiveness requirements established in section 4, and is deliverable within the funding level established pursuant to section 5. When developing its portfolio of conservation programs, the Trust shall develop budgets to assist the Commission in analyzing the likely impact of the programs on utilities' rates.