Geothermal and hydro related energy review.

21LSO-0375
2021
STATE OF WYOMING
21LSO-0375
ENGROSSED
3.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0067

Geothermal and hydro related energy review.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Harshman, Duncan, Heiner, Larsen and Sommers and Senator(s) Cooper and Wasserburger

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the administration of government; creating a task force on geothermal and hydro and hydrogen related energy; providing for membership and duties of the task force; requiring a report; providing for executive department staffing of the task force; providing for legislative liaisons; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

(a)

There is created the task force on geothermal and hydro and hydrogen related energy consisting of the following members:

(i)

A
member knowledgeable of the oil and gas industry appointed by the oil and gas conservation commission;

(ii)

Two (2) members of the public, one (1) appointed by the governor and one (1) appointed jointly by the president of the senate and speaker of the house of representatives;

(iii)

A representative of the University of Wyoming's school of energy resources appointed by the University of Wyoming energy resources council;

(iv)

A
representative of the Wyoming energy authority appointed by the board of the authority;

(v)

A representative of the water development office appointed by the director of the office;

(vi)

A representative of the geological survey appointed by the state geologist;

(vii)

A representative of a governmental entity or governmentally chartered entity which participates in the sale or delivery of hydropower in the western region of the United States, requested by the governor to serve.

(b)

The task force shall select one (1) of its members to serve as chair. All members shall serve without compensation for task force service.

Members who are not state employees shall be paid per diem and mileage for attending meetings of the task force in the manner and amounts provided by law for legislators. State employee members of the task force shall be paid per diem and mileage by their agencies for attending meetings of the task force and shall suffer no loss of wages for the time devoted to attending meetings of the task force. The geological survey shall provide administrative and clerical services to the task force.
State agencies shall provide information and assistance to the task force as requested by the task force in carrying out its duties.

Up to two (2) representatives and one (1) senate member of the joint minerals business and economic development interim committee may be appointed by the chairmen of the committee to act as legislative liaisons to the task force, with
authority to attend task force meetings but without authority to vote.

(c)

The task force shall review the potential development of geothermal and hydro and hydrogen related energy for residential, commercial and industrial use in Wyoming and other states with identified markets including:

(i)

Geothermal and hydro and hydrogen related resources as a means to produce electrical energy;

(ii)

The potential for cooperative ventures between developers of oil and gas resources and producers, generators and transmission owners of geothermal and hydro and hydrogen related energy;

(iii)

Potential impact from the development of geothermal and water reservoirs on existing tourism and other uses of geothermal and water resources;

(iv)

The potential for cooperative public/private ventures to develop geothermal and hydro and hydrogen related resources;

(v)

Possible measures to provide an environment conducive to development of geothermal and hydro and hydrogen related resources.

(d)

As used in this act "hydro and hydrogen related" includes hydro
‑
electric energy, hydrogen energy production capacity and water to steam energy production capacity using natural gas.

(e)

The task force shall submit its findings and any recommendations for statutory modifications to support geothermal and hydro and hydrogen related energy development to the joint minerals, business and economic development interim committee no later than November 1, 2021.

The committee shall review the findings and recommendations and may sponsor any legislation it deems appropriate for consideration by the legislature.

(f)

Members of the task force shall be appointed within fifteen (15) days of the effective date of this act.

(g)

The task force shall exist until December 31, 2021.

Section 2.

There is appropriated nine thousand dollars ($9,000.00) from the general fund to the geological survey for mileage and per diem for members of the task force who are not state employees as authorized in section 1 of this act.

This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending December 31, 2021.

This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2022.

Section 3.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

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HB0067