Energy

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide detailed specifics on changes to administrative procedures beyond assigning them to other departments, leaving some aspects of the bill's impact uncertain.

Changes to State Energy Policy Council

This bill changes how the state energy policy council operates by moving administrative tasks to other departments and altering reporting requirements.

What This Bill Does

• Moves the administrative oversight of the council from the council itself to the Department of Economic and Community Development and the Department of Environment and Conservation.
• Eliminates the requirement for annual reports but mandates an initial report by July 1, 2026, focusing on policy recommendations and future needs.
• Updates distribution requirements for the initial report, requiring it to be available online and sent electronically to relevant legislative committees.
• Modifies how vacancies in council membership are filled, ensuring replacements are appointed by the original appointing authority.

Who It Names or Affects

• The state energy policy council
• Departments of Economic and Community Development and Environment and Conservation

Terms To Know

council

State Energy Policy Council, which advises the governor and general assembly on energy matters.

initial report

A document required by July 1, 2026, focusing on policy recommendations and future needs of Tennessee's energy sector.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify the exact content or frequency of future reports beyond the initial one.
• It is unclear what specific changes to administrative procedures are being made other than assigning them to other departments.

Official Summary Text

Present law establishes
the state energy policy council
("council")
, administratively attached to the office of the comptroller of the treasury.

The council advise
s
the governor
and general assembly with the goal of promoting economic growth and job creation while ensuring the protection of the state's natural resources, cultural heritage, and quality of life.

To facilitate the work of the council and for administrative purposes,
the chair of the council, with the consent and approval of the members, organize
s
the work of the council to carry out
its
requirements and to ensure the efficient operation of the council.
This bill revises this last provision to, instead, require the
c
hair of the council
to
assign the administrative oversight responsibilities jointly to the department of economic and community development and the department of environment and conservation.

Present law requires the
council
to a
dopt its own rules of pro
cedure
and m
ake nonsubstantive policy relating to the administrative operation of the council.
This bill deletes this provision.

ANNUAL REPORTS AND PLANS

Present law requires the council to create an annual report,
facilitated by the Howard H. Baker Jr
. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennesse
e,

to
assess the energy sector in this state
. The report must include
the statewide projected growth and development as it relates to future energy
needs and a
n assessment of growth trends in energy
consumption and production, and an identification of potential adverse social, economic, or environmental impacts which may be imposed by a continuation of the present trends
. This bill deletes the requirement for an annual report from the council and rem
oves these provisions pertaining to the annual report.

Present law requires the council to d
evelop
a
n ongoing comprehensive state energy policy plan to achieve maximum effective management and use of present and future sources of energy
.
The plan
must
i
nclude
r
ecommendations to the governor and the general assembly for additional administrative and legislative actions on energy matters
. The plan must also include a
summary of the council's activities since the last filing of the energy policy plan, a de
scription of major plans developed by the council, an assessment of plan implementation, and a review of council plans and programs for the coming biennium.
This bill revises the contents of this plan to the timing and contents outlined below.

This bil
l requires t
he council
to
publish an initial report by July 1, 2026, on recommendations of policy and actions needed in order to address this state's energy needs
.
The report must be
d
istributed electronically to
legislative committees
and
be a
vailable on the department of economic and community development's and the department of environment and conservation's websites. The departments must jointly notify any person who has registered through the department's website by email of the report's
a
vailability.

The departments must
also
establish the frequency
by which
future reports will be distributed, with the longest interval between distributions being two years.

VACANCY APPOINTMENTS

In case of a vacancy in the membership on the council prio
r to the expiration of a member's term,
p
resent law requires

a successor
to
be appointed within 30 days of the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term by the appropriate appointing authority and in the same manner as the original appointment.
This
bill revises this provision so that, instead,
a successor must be appointed by the appointing authority who made the original appointment and in the same manner as the original appointment.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 968
By Southerland

HOUSE BILL 747
By Fritts

HB0747
002702
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68,
Chapter 204, relative to the state energy policy
council.

WHEREAS, this General Assembly resolved in 2023 for this State to develop an energy
production plan in order to become an energy exporter; and
WHEREAS, President Trump has declared a national energy emergency; and
WHEREAS, this State must continue to build upon its long-standing partnership with the
Tennessee Valley Authority, which has led the nation in effective and efficient generation of
electricity using nuclear, gas, coal, and hydro-electric energy sources; and
WHEREAS, this State must implement a strategic plan for building and maintaining
energy infrastructure that is scalable and robust enough to not only meet our current energy
availability and production but to accommodate our ever-increasing future energy demands; and
WHEREAS, preparing for a nuclear power renaissance and maintaining a competitive
advantage in all things nuclear, including nuclear manufacturing and nuclear energy, will require
this State to maintain and build upon the nuclear energy resources in Oak Ridge and other parts
of East Tennessee while developing traditional and emerging energy technologies; and
WHEREAS, it is vital that policymakers in this State understand the strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with our current energy sources and
capabilities, as well as any future energy development and production; and
WHEREAS, the Tennessee energy policy council was reconstituted in 2024 to include
subject matter experts from all segments of the energy production and delivery markets in order
to ensure policymakers receive the best possible recommendations on all aspects of current
and future energy production capabilities; and

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WHEREAS, establishing a set of objectives for which the Tennessee energy policy
council is annually responsible will help in the establishment and maintenance of an effective
energy policy; and
WHEREAS, assigning the administrative, reporting, oversight, and accountability
responsibilities jointly to the Tennessee department of economic and community development
and the Tennessee department of environment and conservation will help ensure that policy
suggestions safely, reliably, and effectively leverage current and emerging energy capabilities in
this State; now, therefore,
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-204-106, is amended by deleting
the section and substituting:
(a) To facilitate the work of the council and for administrative purposes, the chair
of the council shall assign the administrative oversight responsibilities jointly to the
department of economic and community development and the department of
environment and conservation.
(b) The council shall meet quarterly, with members to be physically present at a
minimum of two (2) quarterly meetings each calendar year. Members may also
participate by teleconference call. Emergency meetings may be called by the chair or
upon petition by a majority of the council, with written notice being given to all members.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-204-103, is amended by deleting
subdivision (b)(1).
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-204-108, is amended by deleting
the section and substituting the following:

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(a) The council shall compile, compose, and publish an initial report by July 1,
2026, on recommendations of policy and actions needed in order to address this state's
energy needs, including, but not limited to:
(1) Energy source and production goals by capacity;
(2) An analysis of each energy source's strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats;
(3) An assessment of the current capacity of each energy source against
projected demand; and
(4) An assessment of potential energy source extraction and delivery
systems, emerging innovative energy sources, and energy storage.
(b) The reports must be:
(1) Distributed electronically to all members of the energy, agriculture
and natural resources committee of the senate and the committee of the house
of representatives with subject jurisdiction over energy; and
(2) Available on the department of economic and community
development's and the department of environment and conservation's websites.
The departments must jointly notify any person who has registered through the
department's website by email of the report's availability.
(c) The departments must establish the frequency future reports will be
distributed, with the longest interval between distributions being two (2) years.
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-204-104, is amended by deleting
subdivision (d)(3) and substituting:
(3) In case of a vacancy in the membership on the council prior to the expiration
of a member's term, a successor must be appointed within thirty (30) days of the

- 4 - 002702

vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term by the appointing authority who made
the original appointment and in the same manner as the original appointment.
SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.