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SF0025 • 2024

Reclamation and decommissioning costs.

AN ACT relating to public utilities; requiring a study identify already incurred liabilities for the decommissioning and cleanup of coal fired electric generation facilities as specified; requiring a study and reports; and providing for an effective date.

Budget Energy
Inactive

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

Sponsor
Corporations
Last action
2024-03-05
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2024

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the scope of the review and analysis beyond identifying likely decommissioning issues and their costs.

Study on Coal Plant Cleanup Costs

This act requires the Department of Environmental Quality to study and report on already incurred liabilities for decommissioning and cleanup costs of coal-fired electric generation facilities identified before September 30, 2023.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new law requiring the Department of Environmental Quality to review studies related to decommissioning costs of specified coal-fired power plants.
  • Requires the department to report its findings and status updates on the study by September 1, 2024, with a final report due by September 1, 2025.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Coal-fired electric generation facilities in Wyoming that are scheduled for retirement or conversion before January 1, 2034.
  • The Department of Environmental Quality and the public utility companies operating these coal plants.
  • State committees responsible for reviewing the reports.

Terms To Know

Decommissioning
The process of safely shutting down a facility, such as a power plant, and cleaning up any waste left behind.
Integrated resource plan
A long-term strategy for managing energy resources that includes plans to build new facilities or retire old ones.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill is marked as inactive, meaning it will not move forward in the current session.
  • It does not specify how much money will be needed for further studies if they are recommended by the department.

Amendments

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

SF0025SW001

Committee of the Whole • Senator Scott

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment changes how a study about coal-fired power plant decommissioning costs will be conducted, focusing on environmental risks and shifting responsibilities to the Department of Environmental Quality.

  • Removes specific wording that was previously in the bill text.
  • Changes references from 'commission' to 'Department of Environmental Quality'.
  • Adds new requirements for a review and analysis by the Department of Environmental Quality focusing on historical waste disposal practices and their potential impacts.
  • Eliminates certain sections of the original bill.
  • The exact impact of removing specific lines from the bill is not fully explained in the amendment text.
SF0025SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivi

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes language about funding and specific sections related to the study of decommissioning costs for coal-fired power plants.

  • Removes the phrase 'providing an appropriation;' from the bill's title.
  • Deletes lines 15 through 23 on page 5, which likely contained details about the study or its requirements.
  • Eliminates lines 1 through 4 on page 6, which probably included additional specifics about the study.
  • The exact content of the deleted sections is not provided, so their specific impacts are unclear.

Bill History

  1. 2024-03-05 House

    H:Died in Committee Returned Bill Pursuant to HR 5-4

  2. 2024-03-05 House

    H No report prior to CoW Cutoff

  3. 2024-03-04 House

    H07 - Corporations:Do Pass Failed 2-7-0-0-0

  4. 2024-02-28 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H07 - Corporations

  5. 2024-02-28 House

    H Received for Introduction

  6. 2024-02-27 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 30-0-0-0-1

  7. 2024-02-26 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2024-02-23 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  9. 2024-02-20 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  10. 2024-02-20 Senate

    S07 - Corporations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 3-2-0-0-0

  11. 2024-02-12 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S07 - Corporations 31-0-0-0-0

  12. 2024-01-24 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  13. 2023-12-18 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
24LSO-0229
2024
STATE OF WYOMING
24LSO-0229
ENGROSSED
3.0

SENATE FILE NO. SF0025

Reclamation and decommissioning costs.

Sponsored by: Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to public utilities; requiring a study identify already incurred liabilities for the decommissioning and cleanup of coal fired electric generation facilities as specified; requiring a study and reports; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 37
‑
2
‑
135 is created to read:

37
‑
2
‑
135.

Reclamation and decommissioning costs; identification of costs already recovered in rates; specifying the responsibility for additional reclamation costs.

(a)

This section shall apply to each coal fired electric generation facility, regardless of size, that is identified in the public utility's integrated resource plan submitted to the commission before September 30, 2023 as scheduled for retirement, closure or conversion to another fuel source including natural gas or nuclear energy before January 1, 2034. This section shall apply to the expected costs of decommissioning all units of the facility and reclaiming the site at the facility, including but not limited to any costs related to fly ash, hazardous waste or other solid or liquid waste disposal sites for which the present or any future owner of the facility site is likely to be liable for damages and cleanup costs.

(b)

For facilities subject to subsection (a) of this section, the department of environmental quality shall undertake a review and analysis of the studies relied on by the commission relating to the decommissioning costs specified in subsection (a) of this section. The objective of the review and analysis shall be to determine if the studies adequately identified likely decommissioning issues and their costs. The review and analysis shall concentrate on problems potentially created by the disposal of fly ash and other waste disposal in the period before the implementation of modern waste disposal practices including the time before the creation of the department of environmental quality. The review and analysis shall seek to identify risks or problems that may have a substantial impact on either electricity rates or the ability to use the facility in question for other purposes. The department of environmental quality shall conduct the initial review and analysis with existing staff and resources. If appropriate, the department shall recommend any further investigation and study need related to potential problems.

Section 2.

(a)

The department of environmental quality shall report to the joint minerals, business and economic development interim committee and to the joint corporations, elections and political subdivisions interim committee:

(i)

Not later than September 1, 2024 with a report and status update on the study required under this section. The update may include any requests for an additional appropriation to complete the study; and

(ii)

A final report not later than September 1, 2025.

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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