Summary — LD 197 (132nd Maine Legislature)
Title: Resolve, To Direct the Governor's Energy Office To Conduct a Study Regarding the Future of Electric Transmission Infrastructure in the State
Status: Signed by the Governor (June 10, 2025)
Introduced: January 14, 2025
Subject areas: Electric utilities, transmission infrastructure, infrastructure study
Main purpose
LD 197 is a legislative resolve that directs the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) to conduct a study on the future of electric transmission infrastructure in Maine. The measure is a study directive (a “Resolve”), not a regulatory or funding bill; its primary intent is to gather analysis and recommendations to inform future policy, planning, and investment decisions related to the State’s transmission system.
Key provisions
- Directs the Governor’s Energy Office to undertake a study focused on Maine’s electric transmission infrastructure.
- Assigns responsibility for carrying out the study to the GEO (the text of the resolve specifies GEO as the lead; the full study scope and deliverables are contained in the Resolve text, which is not provided here).
- Anticipates coordination with other affected agencies and stakeholders as needed (fiscal notes reference “various agencies impacted”).
Note: The available documents do not reproduce the full study scope, timeline, required components, reporting deadlines, or mandated stakeholder processes. Those details appear in the full text of the Resolve.
Who is affected
- Governor’s Energy Office — named as the lead entity to perform the study.
- State agencies with interests in energy, utilities, siting, environment, and emergency planning may be asked to assist; fiscal notes indicate any costs to these agencies would be minor.
- Electric utilities, transmission owners/operators, local governments, and other stakeholders likely will be participants or subjects of the study and its recommendations.
Fiscal impact
- Multiple fiscal notes were issued:
- A May 13, 2025 committee amendment fiscal note and a June 3, 2025 engrossed fiscal note both estimate a minor General Fund cost increase; additional costs are expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgets.
- A May 29, 2025 fiscal note tied to a Senate amendment indicated “No fiscal impact.”
- Overall, the Legislature concluded any additional costs are minor.
Legislative and procedural history (high level)
- Referred to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology (Jan 14, 2025); committee work sessions and amendments followed (Committee Amendment “A” (S‑126) and Senate Amendment “A” (S‑211)).
- The Resolve passed both chambers after several procedural steps, votes on concurrence/non‑concurrence, and amendment adoption.
- Finally passed by both chambers and signed by the Governor on June 10, 2025, at which point the study requirement becomes effective as directed by the Resolve.
Practical effect
LD 197 authorizes and directs a state office to produce an analytical study to inform future state action on transmission infrastructure — decisions about siting, upgrades, resilience, and investments may follow based on the study’s findings, but the Resolve itself does not change regulatory authority or appropriate significant new funding.
