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LD212 • 2025

An Act to Require the Valuation of Energy Produced by Hydropower Dams and Exploration of Alternative Ownership Options Before They Are Removed

An Act to Require the Valuation of Energy Produced by Hydropower Dams and Exploration of Alternative Ownership Options Before They Are Removed

Energy
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Representative Richard Campbell
Last action
2025-04-24
Official status
Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act to Require the Valuation of Energy Produced by Hydropower Dams and Exploration of Alternative Ownership Options Before They Are Removed

An Act to Require the Valuation of Energy Produced by Hydropower Dams and Exploration of Alternative Ownership Options Before They Are Removed Sponsor: Representative Richard Campbell Reference committee: Environment and Natural Resources Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Require the Valuation of Energy Produced by Hydropower Dams and Exploration of Alternative Ownership Options Before They Are Removed Sponsor: Representative Richard Campbell Reference committee: Environment and Natural Resources Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-24 Senate

    Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)

  2. 2025-04-22 Committee

    Reported Out; ONTP

  3. 2025-04-16 Committee

    Work Session Held

  4. 2025-04-16 Committee

    Voted; ONTP

  5. 2025-03-21 House

    Carried over, in the same posture, to the next special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 519.

  6. 2025-02-04 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

  7. 2025-01-30 Committee

    Refer Approved by Chairs/Leads; REFER TO OTHER

  8. 2025-01-30 Committee

    Reported Out; REFER TO OTHER

Official Summary Text

An Act to Require the Valuation of Energy Produced by Hydropower Dams and Exploration of Alternative Ownership Options Before They Are Removed
Sponsor:
Representative Richard Campbell
Reference committee:
Environment and Natural Resources
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; ONTP

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 212
H.P. 135 House of Representatives, January 21, 2025
An Act to Require the Valuation of Energy Produced by
Hydropower Dams and Exploration of Alternative Ownership
Options Before They Are Removed
Received by the Clerk of the House on January 16, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
Energy, Utilities and Technology pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative CAMPBELL of Orrington.
Cosponsored by Representatives: BISHOP of Bucksport, SOBOLESKI of Phillips, Senator:
HAGGAN of Penobscot.

Page 1 - 132LR0190(01)
1 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 38 MRSA §634, sub-§5 is enacted to read:
35. Dam removal; energy valuation and alternative ownership. Notwithstanding
4 any provision of this subarticle to the contrary, the department may not approve an
5 application for a permit to remove a dam that is part of a hydropower project unless the
6 applicant:
7 A. Provides to the department an evaluation of the monetary value of the electrical or
8 mechanical power that the dam is capable of generating; and
9 B. Demonstrates to the department that the applicant made all reasonable efforts to
10 sell the dam and was unable to reach an agreement on a sale with an alternative owner.
11 The department may adopt rules to implement this subsection. Rules adopted pursuant to
12 this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter
13 2-A.
14SUMMARY
15 This bill amends the law governing hydropower projects to require an applicant for a
16 permit to remove a dam that is part of a hydropower project to provide to the Department
17 of Environmental Protection or to the Maine Land Use Planning Commission, as
18 applicable, an evaluation of the monetary value of the electrical or mechanical power that
19 the dam is capable of generating. The applicant must also demonstrate to the department
20 or commission that the applicant made all reasonable efforts to sell the dam and was unable
21 to reach an agreement on a sale with an alternative owner. The department or commission
22 is authorized to adopt routine technical rules to implement these requirements.
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