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STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
_____
S.P. 676 - L.D. 1730
An Act to Make Small Plug-in Solar Generation Devices Accessible for All
Maine Residents to Address the Energy Affordability Crisis
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3475 is enacted to read:
§3475. Plug-in photovoltaic and battery systems
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the
following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Eligible system" means a plug-in photovoltaic system or plug-in battery system
with an export capacity of 1,200 watts or less that is:
(1) Listed or certified in accordance with UL 3700, the Outline of Investigation
for Interactive Plug-in Photovoltaic Equipment and Systems, and any other
applicable standards developed by UL LLC, formerly known as Underwriters
Laboratories, or the National Electrical Code specific to plug-in photovoltaic
systems and plug-in battery systems;
(2) Listed or certified in accordance with a standard comparable to UL 3700 from
a nationally recognized testing laboratory; or
(3) Configured in accordance with the National Electrical Code that is adopted by
rule by the Electricians' Examining Board, established in Title 5, section 12004‑A,
subsection 13.
B. "Interconnection agreement" means an agreement between a person and a
transmission and distribution utility governing the connection of an interconnecting
generating facility to the transmission and distribution utility's system and the ongoing
operation of the interconnecting generating facility after it is connected to the system.
C. "Plug-in battery system" means an alternating current-coupled energy storage device
that:
(1) Connects to a retail electricity customer's electrical system wiring through a
standard electrical outlet;
APPROVED
APRIL 6, 2026
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
644
PUBLIC LAW
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(2) Is capable of charging from or discharging to the electrical system to which it
is connected independently of any photovoltaic system; and
(3) Is intended to offset on-site electricity consumption by the retail electricity
customer, perform energy arbitrage or participate in grid-support operations.
D. "Plug-in photovoltaic system" means a photovoltaic generation device that:
(1) Connects to a retail customer's electrical system wiring through a standard
electrical outlet in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of
interconnected electric power sources established in the National Electrical Code
that is adopted by rule by the Electricians' Examining Board, established in Title
5, section 12004-A, subsection 13;
(2) Is intended primarily to offset part of the retail electricity customer's electricity
consumption; and
(3) Uses inverters that are configured to shut off after 0.2 seconds if power is
disrupted.
2. Authorization. Subject to the requirements of this section, a retail electricity
customer may install and operate one or more eligible systems at the customer's service
address for the purpose of offsetting on-site electricity consumption.
3. Capacity limitations. A retail electricity customer may install and operate one or
more eligible systems with a combined inverter output of up to 420 watts, measured in
alternating current, per service address. A retail electricity customer may install and operate
plug-in photovoltaic systems and plug-in battery systems with combined inverter output
exceeding 420 watts, but no more than 1,200 watts, per service address, as long as each
system is installed by an electrician licensed in the State and uses a dedicated circuit with
a single outlet and the customer complies with the notification requirement in subsection
5.
4. Net energy billing; prohibition. An eligible system installed and operated in
accordance with the requirements of this section may not be used for net energy billing
pursuant to sections 3209-A and 3209-B.
5. Notification for output exceeding 420 watts. A retail electricity customer that
installs an eligible system in accordance with subsection 3 shall provide a notification to
the transmission and distribution utility in whose service territory the eligible system is
installed in a form prescribed by the commission within 30 days of installation. The
notification must include, but is not limited to, the retail customer's service address, the
inverter capacity of the eligible system and a statement that the retail electricity customer
is in compliance with the requirements of this section. A transmission and distribution
utility may not deny the installation of an eligible system that complies with the
requirements of this section.
6. Prohibitions. A transmission and distribution utility may not require a retail
electricity customer that installs or operates an eligible system in accordance with the
requirements of this section to:
A. Obtain approval from the transmission and distribution utility prior to installation
or operation;
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B. Submit an interconnection application, execute an interconnection agreement or
undergo an interconnection study in connection with the eligible system;
C. Pay any fee or charge to the transmission and distribution utility related to the
eligible system; or
D. Install additional controls or equipment beyond what is integrated into the eligible
system.
7. Liability. A transmission and distribution utility is not liable for any damage or
injury caused by the installation or operation of an eligible system by a retail electricity
customer in accordance with this section.
8. Structural and code compliance; installation or removal. A retail electricity
customer that installs or operates an eligible system on or in a structure the customer does
not own shall ensure that the installation or operation does not compromise the integrity of
the structure or violate any state or local building, fire or zoning codes. Upon removal of
an eligible system from a structure the customer does not own, the customer shall restore
the structure to its condition prior to the installation.