An Act To Require Competitive Electricity Providers To Provide Certain Information To The Public Advocate

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Steven Foster and 9 co-sponsors

The act requires competitive electricity providers, public utilities, and standard-offer service providers to share specified billing and utility data with the Maine Public Advocat

Signed by Governor

#billingdata #delivery #electricutilities

LD 860 — Summary

Title: An Act To Require Competitive Electricity Providers To Provide Certain Information To The Public Advocate (enacted as: An Act to Allow the Public Advocate to Obtain Information from Public Utilities, Competitive Electricity Providers and Standard-offer Service Providers)

Status: Signed by Governor (enacted as an emergency measure)
Introduced: March 4, 2025
Governor signed: May 29, 2025
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology

Purpose / Intent

LD 860 expands and clarifies the Office of the Public Advocate’s (OPA) authority to obtain information from entities that serve Maine electricity customers. The stated intent is to ensure the OPA — which represents residential and small-business ratepayers — has access to necessary data from competitive electricity providers, public utilities and standard-offer service providers to perform oversight, advocacy and analyses related to billing, delivery and other electric utility matters.

Key provisions

Authorizes or requires competitive electricity providers to provide specified information to the Public Advocate.

The enacted language (as amended) extends the information-access requirement to public utilities and standard-offer service providers as well.

The scope pertains to data needed for the OPA’s statutory role in representing ratepayers; the bill is tied to subjects including billing data, delivery and electric utilities (specific categories of data were set out in the bill text/amendment).

Enacted as an emergency measure, allowing the law to take effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature.

(Note: the publicly available summary materials and fiscal notes describe the requirement generally; consult the final enrolled bill text for the exact data categories, confidentiality provisions, and compliance procedures.)

Who is affected

Competitive electricity providers operating in Maine.

Investor-owned and/or municipal public utilities providing electric service.

Standard-offer service providers (entities serving customers under Maine’s standard-offer rules).

The Office of the Public Advocate — gains enhanced access to information for investigations, rate review, and customer representation.

Indirectly, Maine electricity customers may be affected through improved OPA oversight and advocacy.

Legislative / procedural timeline

Referred to and considered by the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology; amended by Committee Amendment “A” (H-204).

Passed by the Legislature under suspension and on the Consent Calendar; required a two-thirds vote in the House because it was enacted as an emergency measure.

Ordered sent forthwith and signed by the Governor on May 29, 2025; effective immediately as an emergency enactment.

For the precise obligations, data types, timing for disclosure, and any confidentiality or procedural rules, refer to the final enrolled bill text and implementing guidance from the Office of the Public Advocate.

Bill