Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A. Public Utilities § 3135. Physical connection between lines of utilities authorized

1. Connection with feed lines. A transmission and distribution utility may extend its lines to connect with the feed lines of any other transmission and distribution utility. The commission may fix such terms and conditions as will safeguard the rights and interests of both utilities.

2. Emergency connection and transport of energy. The commission, in the interest of public convenience and necessity, may order any utility that is principally engaged in the transmission and distribution of electricity directly to the public or to be used ultimately by the public to transport temporarily electricity over its transmission or distribution facilities at a reasonable charge and in a manner as the commission directs when the transmission will alleviate an electric power shortage within this State that exists by reason of an emergency.

Whenever the commission, upon its own motion or upon application of any transmission and distribution utility, after due notice to all interested parties and an opportunity for a hearing, makes findings based upon substantial evidence that an emergency exists and that action is necessary and appropriate in the public interest and is not detrimental to the interests of investors and consumers, it may order a utility to establish physical connection of its transmission or distribution facilities with the facilities of one or more other utilities to transmit or distribute electricity for any other utility for a temporary period.

The commission may not compel a company to transmit or distribute electricity under this subsection when to do so would impair its ability to render adequate service to its customers.

The commission may prescribe the terms and conditions of the arrangement to be made between the utilities affected by the order, including the compensation or reimbursement reasonably due to any of them, and, in the case of a new physical connection, the apportionment of costs between them or among them provided that a utility making application for or receiving the benefit of a connection that will inure to its sole benefit assumes the entire cost of the connection.