Acadia Center Testimony in Support of House Bill 5815, Intervenor Support Program

Acadia Center submitted written testimony to support legislation that would establish an intervenor compensation program in the state, which aims to even the playing field and provide compensation to underrepresented groups in utility and siting board proceedings. Intervenor compensation exists in 15+ states including multiple states in the New England region. There is a strong power imbalance in proceedings currently, where utilities can use existing ratepayer dollars and prepare for proceedings with strong existing knowledge and resources in the process. Underrepresented groups, like municipalities, energy burdened groups, and environmental justice communities face a high barrier to entry to formal participation which can involve hiring an attorney, presenting evidence and witnesses to be cross examined, or filing relevant motions or petitions. This program would provide financial compensation for those groups to participate, where they could represent the public interest and push back on excessive utility spending, propose robust alternatives, pursue cost savings for ratepayers, and advocate for other ratepayer interests.