PUC Staff Provided Short Extension to File Energy Storage Recommended Decision

On October 22, 2026 the Maine PUC issued an order providing DOER outside counsel’s access to confidential bid evaluation information is conditioned on counsel “agreeing to take measures within its firm to ensure that the individual attorneys who have access to that information will neither represent bidders in procurements conducted by [DOER] nor share that information with other attorneys.”

On October 23, 2026 DOER outside counsel filed a compliance letter.

On October 27, 2026 the Maine PUC issued a procedural order amending the schedule.  “The procedural order on schedule issued on September 24, 2026 set October 27, 2026 as the date for Staff to issue a recommended decision. Due to scheduling conflicts, Staff now intends to issue the recommended decision on October 30, 2026. Comments or exceptions in response to the recommended decision may be submitted on or before November 6, 2026.”

As background, DOER is requested approval of its RFP for the state’s first competitive energy storage solicitation.

DOER’s proposed RFP seeks to procure 200-300MW of energy storage, with the option to procure up to 360MW if sufficient projects are consistent with the RFP’s objectives and criteria. Projects eligible for the Efficiency Maine Trust (EMT) Energy Storage System Program are excluded. Bid eligibility requirements include:

• offering a nameplate capacity of at least 3MW;
• demonstrating bidder control or possession of an irrevocable option to acquire control over the proposed project site;
• being able to charge from and discharge to the delivery point at the bid capacity throughout the contract term;
• having a delivery point located: (i) on an ISO-NE pool transmission facility (PTF), and (ii) such that utilities are not responsible for wheeling charges to move energy to and from the PTF; and
• the project not having started construction, given notice to proceed, or achieved financial close at the time of submission.