HB0155 • 2021

Electric generation-reliability.

AN ACT relating to public utilities; requiring consideration of reliability factors before approving the closure of an electric generation facility; specifying applicability; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Children Energy Taxes

Inactive

Wyoming marks this bill as inactive, which usually means it is no longer moving in the current session.

Sponsor: Representative Gray
Last action: 2021-04-07
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2021

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included speculative claims about enforcement and consequences that are not supported in the official source material.

Electric Generation Facility Reliability Act

This act requires public utilities in Wyoming to consider reliability factors before closing electric generation facilities that use coal or natural gas.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Public Service Commission to consider the impact of closing an electricity-generating plant on reliable, dispatchable power for customers and any nationwide energy shortages affecting Wyoming customers.
Makes sure that rules needed to follow this new law are made by the Public Service Commission.

Who It Names or Affects

Public utilities in Wyoming
The Public Service Commission of Wyoming

Terms To Know

Dispatchable: Electricity that can be generated on demand when needed.
Reliable: Consistently available and dependable electricity supply.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if a utility fails to follow these rules.
It is unclear how this act will be enforced or monitored by the state.
This bill was marked as inactive, meaning it did not pass in its current session.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB0155HS001

Standing Committee • House Minerals, Business and Economic Development

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes several sections from the bill, including parts of its title and definitions, and makes minor changes to wording related to electric generation facility closures.

Removes language in the catch title and main body that relates to liability and certain definitions.
Modifies references to reliability factors by specifying how they are defined elsewhere.
Alters the scope of impact assessment from nationwide to Wyoming-specific customer impacts.

The amendment text does not provide full context for all removed sections, making it hard to understand their exact implications.
Some deleted parts may have contained important details about liability and specific definitions that are now missing from the bill.

Bill History

2021-04-07 Senate
S:Died in Committee Returned Bill Pursuant to SR 5-4
2021-04-01 Senate
S No report prior to CoW Cutoff
2021-03-26 Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S09 - Minerals
2021-03-25 Senate
S Received for Introduction
2021-03-24 House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 50-10-0-0-0
2021-03-23 House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2021-03-22 House
H COW:Passed
2021-03-19 House
H Placed on General File
2021-03-19 House
H09 - Minerals:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 8-1-0-0-0
2021-03-03 House
H Introduced and Referred to H09 - Minerals
2021-03-01 House
H Received for Introduction
2021-02-26 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

21LSO-0344
2021
STATE OF WYOMING
21LSO-0344
ENGROSSED
3.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0155

Electric generation-reliability.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Gray, Bear, Jennings and Zwonitzer and Senator(s) Biteman and Perkins

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to public utilities; requiring consideration of reliability factors before approving the closure of an electric generation facility; specifying applicability; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 37
‑
2
‑
134 is created to read:

37
‑
2
‑
134.

Matters to be considered in electric generation facility closures.

(a)

As used in this section:

(i)

"Dispatchable" means as defined in W.S. 37
‑
18
‑
101(a)(ii);

(ii)

"Electric generation facility" means a facility located in Wyoming that uses coal or natural gas to generate electricity for provision to customers;

(iii)

"Reliable" means as defined in W.S. 37
‑
18
‑
101(a)(iv).

(b)

Before authorizing or approving the closure of an electric generation facility as proposed in a rate case, integrated resource plan or other submission to the commission, the commission shall consider the effect on available reliable, dispatchable electricity to Wyoming customers
and
the impact that any shortage of available energy nationwide may have on Wyoming customers
.

Section 2.

Nothing in this act shall be construed to impair or amend any tariff of an electric public utility that exists or is in effect on or before the effective date of this section.

Section 3.

The public service commission shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

Section 4
.

(a) Except as provided by subsection (b) of this section, t
his act is effective July 1, 2021
.

(b) Sections 3 and 4 of this act are
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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HB0155