SENATE

MARK W. LAWRENCE. DISTRICT 35.CI-IAIR
DAVID R. MIRAMANT, 
DAVID WOODSOME. DISTRICT 33

 

LUCIA NIXON, LEGISLATIVE ANALYST
DIANE 

HOUSE

SETH A. BERRY. 

DEANE RYKERSON, KITTERY

CHRISTINA RILEY. JAY

CHRISTOPHER JAMES CAIAZZO. SCARBOROUGH
VICTORIA W. DOUDERA. CAMDEN

NICOLE GROHOSKI, ELLSWORTH
CHRISTOPHER J. KESSLER. SOUTH PORTLAND
JEFFERY P. 

CHAD WAYNE GRIGNON. ATHENS

STEVEN D. FOSTER, DEXTER

 

STATE OF MAINE
ONE HUNDRED AND LEGISLATURE

COMMITTEE ON ENERGY, UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY

February 13 2020

Philip L. Bartlett II, Chair
Maine Public Utilities Commission

State House Station 18

Augusta, ME 04333?00 1 8

Dear Commissioner Bartlett:

We are writing on behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology
(EUT) regarding the contract with London Economics International (LEI) to complete the work
required under Resolve 2019, chapter 107 (LD 1844) ?Resolve, Directing the Public Utilities
Commission To Evaluate the Ownership of Maine?s Power Delivery Systems,? which was signed
into law on July 2, 2019 by Governor Mills.

As you know, Resolve 2019, chapter 107 directed the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to
evaluate Maine?s power delivery options as proposed in LD 1646, "An Act To Restore Local
Ownership and Control of Maine's Power Delivery Systems." The resolve required the PUC to
contract with an independent consultant or consultants to assist the commission with the
evaluation and authorized the PUC to expend up to $500,000 of its discretionary funds to
complete the evaluation. The PUC issued a Request for Proposals for the Evaluation of the
Ownership of Maine?s Power Delivery System (State of Maine RFP #201907118) and
subsequently awarded a contract to London Economics International, LLC (LEI) to conduct the
evaluation. That contract was executed and the ?nal report is due to be released on February 15,
2020 as required by the Resolve.

As outlined in the RFP ?Eligible bidders may not have been retained by a Maine [Investor-
owned Utility] or any of its af?liates within the last ?ve years.? (RFP #201907118, page 6). On
February 10, 2020, the EUT Committee received communication from Garrett Corbin, PUC
Legislative Liaison, that LEI had failed to disclose work it had conducted for Emera, a Maine
investor-owned utility, within the exclusion period state in the RFP. The communication
indicated that the PUC believes that the limited scope of work for which LEI was retained by
Emera ?does not create the kind of con?ict of interest that would jeopardize 

independence.?

100 STATE HOUSE STATION, AUGUSTA. MAINE 04333-0100 TELEPHONE 207-287-1327

The EUT Committee is deeply concerned that LEI, whether intentionally or not, may have
misled the Commission by failing to disclose information critical to the evaluation of their bid.
The Committee has a number of questions concerning the process by which the contract was
awarded, and would appreciate the willingness to present more in-depth information to
the Committee in the near future.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely, 
u/j/ 

Mar W. Lawrence Seth A. Berry . 
Senate Chair House Chair

cc: Members, Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology
Members, Government Oversight Committee
Garrett Corbin, Legislative Liaison, Public Utilities Commission
Danielle Fox, Director, Of?ce of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability
Aaron Frey, Attorney General
Barry Hobbins, Public Advocate
Jaime C. Schorr, State of Maine Chief Procurement Of?cer

100 STATE HOUSE STATION, AUGUSTA, MAINE 04333-0100 TELEPHONE 207-287-1327