Transcript Highlights:

• And that instability is actually what raises the cost of electricity.
• We pay a portion of their rent to help offset their costs.
• on electricity.
• of electricity onto ratepayers.
• sure every single program is cost-effective.

Bills: SB383 , SB1012 , SB1181 , SB1705 , SB2075 , SB2221 , SB2586 , SB2864 , SB2994

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• that utilities would likely pass the cost along.
• And the question I have is, would it be at that cost?
• They don't own electricity.
• There's much more, which is all tied to electricity.
• Be cost cognizant. Are you cost cognizant?

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The committee began by deferring six bills en bloc, then took up House Bill 1103, which would exempt certain industrial facility construction or improvement projects—especially aerospace-related facilities—from some local permitting requirements. Supporters said the goal was to reduce red tape and help Louisiana compete with states like Texas and Florida for aerospace investment, while members raised concerns about safety, home rule authority, and whether fewer permits could reduce oversight. The bill was reported favorably. Members then heard extensive testimony on House Bill 1212, which would require utilities to assess large electric transformers for vulnerability to electromagnetic threats and report findings to GOSEP, with a public version of the report. The sponsor and a retired Marine officer argued the bill was a limited “scoping” measure to identify vulnerabilities to solar storms or EMP attacks and estimate hardening costs; they said the current federal standard is too low and that protection technology exists. Committee members and utility representatives questioned whether the bill duplicated existing federal/NERC requirements, whether the information could create security risks if disclosed, whether the PSC had already studied the issue, and whether the costs would be passed to ratepayers. The PSC said it had previously opened a docket and studied EMP/physical security issues but never issued a final recommendation. After discussion, the sponsor agreed to defer the bill, and the committee deferred HB 1212. The committee then reported several technical or narrower bills favorably: House Bill 241 updated bank records disclosure citations and replaced a reference to the defunct Office of Thrift Supervision with the CFPB; House Bill 1091 shifted local fire departments to direct reporting into the federal emergency response system; and House Bill 1027 extended existing liability protection for real estate agents to licensed appraisers regarding smoke and carbon monoxide detector compliance in one- and two-family homes. Finally, House Bill 1096, dealing with electrical cooperative bylaws and board authority versus member approval, was introduced with testimony from cooperative representatives explaining it was intended to restore member control or allow cooperatives to opt out of the 2012 change that had expanded board authority. The transcript cuts off before final action on HB 1096.

Transcript Highlights:

• While the cost of wind is coming down, causing utilities to buy more of it, the cost of nuclear has bounced
• c> is</c><00:03:22.799><c> coming</c> one while the cost of wind is coming one while the cost of wind
• </c> other states have seen real cost other states have seen real cost overruns<00:03:33.159><c> with
• Germany says we prefer not to take that risk, and right now Germany's electric costs are higher in some
• /c><00:06:57.800><c> some</c><00:06:58.039><c> places</c> electric costs are higher in some places electric

Transcript Highlights:

• of the electric grid.
• > the</c><00:54:30.839><c> electric</c> planning of the electric planning of the electric grid<00:54:
• But if we care about energy efficiency, the cost of electricity and reliability, water consumption, and
• Equipment itself and electricity.
• costs or decrease electrical reliability, or have some sort of a negative consequence for our carbon-free

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:07:39.680><c> Um</c> barley both heat and electricity. Um barley both heat and electricity.
• ,</c><00:15:21.360><c> creating</c> have no ongoing fuel costs, creating have no ongoing fuel costs,
• :22.160><c> power</c> reliable, cost-effective, cleaner power reliable, cost-effective, cleaner power
• ,</c> surface, this study compared electric, surface, this study compared electric, gas,<00:53:05.359
• electric and so uh electricity goes out. electric and so uh electricity goes out.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Transcript Highlights:

• One of Habitat's biggest costs are development fees.
• When those fees arise unexpectedly late in a project planning timeline, they add fixed costs and cost
• This will help reduce the cost of duplicative fees and lower overall development costs.
• In effect, SB 1283 reduces cost and uncertainty for private applicants while increasing costs, legal
• So it's no electricity grid to recharge for the times.

Committee: Senate Local Government

Summary: The committee heard a series of housing, local government, and governance bills, with most of the discussion focused on housing production, permitting, and local accountability. SB 1003, by Senator Grayson, would create an Infrastructure Partnership Financing Program to help local jurisdictions and developers jointly fund infill housing infrastructure; it drew support from housing advocates and senior housing groups, while Senator Seyarto questioned whether the state would actually fund another program. The bill was moved on a 3-1 vote and remained on call. SB 1014 would require local jurisdictions to provide good-faith estimates of on-site and off-site improvements within 30 business days of a preliminary application and limit later surprise requirements; Habitat for Humanity, SPUR, and other housing groups supported it, while the City of San Mateo and local government associations raised concerns about accuracy and timing. It passed 4-2 and remained on call. SB 1036, which would require credit under the Mitigation Fee Act for prior site uses when redeveloping a site, passed unanimously to the Senate floor. SB 1145 would streamline CEQA and federal reuse review for qualifying projects at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station; it drew broad labor and local support, but housing and legal advocates sought stronger affordability and enforceability provisions. The bill passed 6-0 to the Committee on Environmental Quality. The committee also considered SB 908, which would streamline permits for energy-code-compliant residential window replacements and limit local design restrictions and HOA barriers. Supporters said the bill would let homeowners and affordable housing providers reduce energy costs, while opponents argued it could override local design standards; it passed 3-1 and remained on call. SB 1172, the Local Tax Savings Act, would add guardrails and transparency to local tax-sharing and consultant agreements; it was supported by the City of Shafter and the League of California Cities and passed 4-0 to Revenue and Taxation, remaining on call. SB 1283 would expand ministerial approval for EV charging stations to include canopies and on-site energy storage systems and require local ordinance updates by 2027; EV industry groups supported it, while cities and counties warned about safety, liability, and local review. Members discussed battery storage safety and litigation concerns, and the bill passed 4-0 to Judiciary, remaining on call. The committee also heard SB 1379, which would separate the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner offices and create an independent medical examiner in response to in-custody death concerns. Supporters cited high death rates, settlements, and the need for independent investigations, while the sheriff’s association and county representatives argued the change would be costly, duplicate services, and override local control. The bill passed 4-1 to Public Safety and remained on call. Finally, SB 1414 would create an independent redistricting commission for San Bernardino County; supporters said it would improve transparency and remove conflicts of interest, while the county opposed the estimated $2 million cost and noted its existing advisory commission. Members generally supported independent redistricting, and the bill was discussed but no final vote was recorded in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> this might cost. Correct. this might cost. Correct.
• </c> electric electrically powered vehicle. electric electrically powered vehicle.
• </c> bicycles and electric assisted bicycles. bicycles and electric assisted bicycles.
• </c> at all, just legal electric bicycles. at all, just legal electric bicycles.
• </c> um electric um electric uh<01:34:42.520><c> electric</c><01:34:43.160><c> motorcycles,</c><01:34

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• And it is very effective, providing very low-cost heating.
• Potentially 10% or more of New Mexico's electric grid, 1 to 3, potentially even 5 gigawatts of electricity
• Electric load that geothermal could serve.
• The current production tax credit only applies to electricity.
• Electricity now and in the near future is incredible.

Committee: House Economic & Rural Development & Policy Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• But 17 percent were on all necessary material costs, processing costs, distribution costs, storage costs
• And as of now, still, just like electricity costs, our gasoline prices are in the top tier, if not the
• of these new electrical loads.
• California Public Utilities Commission's authority to assess the cost of these new electrical loads driven
• aren't suffering high energy costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• But 17 percent were all necessary material costs, processing costs, distribution costs, storage costs
• , things like that, legitimate. ...the distribution costs, storage costs, things like that.
• And as of now, still, just like electricity costs, our gasoline prices are in the top tier, if not the
• of these new electrical loads.
• The California Public Utilities Commission's authority to assess the cost of these new electrical loads

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy heard six budget-related items and took no votes, holding all items open for a future hearing. The first item concerned a climate bond expenditure plan for the California Transmission Accelerator Revolving Fund under SB 254. GoBiz, IBank, and the Department of Finance described a request for nearly $26 million and 10 limited-term positions to develop financing strategies and evaluate transmission projects, while the LAO said the proposal was broadly consistent with Prop. 4 but noted that the Legislature may want to provide more direction on program design. Senators questioned how the proposal would lower ratepayer costs, protect state funds, and ensure accountability for billion-dollar transmission projects. The second item covered trailer bill language to redirect funding among demand-side reliability programs. Finance proposed moving $22 million from the DEPA program to DSGS for summer 2026 and using CalSHAPE interest funds for ELRP or an equivalent CPUC program in 2027-28, with CEC and CPUC coordinating the transition. Senators and LAO questioned why CalSHAPE funds should not continue supporting schools, and several members argued DSGS has been more successful and should continue rather than be shifted to ELRP. CEC and CPUC explained that DSGS and ELRP serve different reliability functions and do not address public safety power shutoffs. Public commenters, including school groups and clean energy advocates, split between extending CalSHAPE for school HVAC/plumbing projects and preserving or expanding DSGS. The committee also heard on petroleum market oversight implementation under SBX1-2 and ABX2-1, with the CEC and its Division of Petroleum Market Oversight requesting additional staffing to support inventory monitoring, refinery resupply analysis, and market oversight. Senators pressed for details on investigations, refinery margins, gasoline price spikes, and the transportation fuels transition plan, while staff said the draft plan would be released soon and that DPMO’s work on branded versus unbranded gasoline remains ongoing. Finally, the CPUC presented three additional proposals: implementing AB 1207’s climate credit reforms, studying large-load/data center cost impacts under SB 57, and preparing for regional market participation under AB 825. The LAO repeatedly cautioned that some of these requests may go beyond statutory minimums and urged the Legislature to decide how much policy direction and staffing it wants to provide. Public commenters supported DPMO funding, opposed ending CalSHAPE, and strongly favored continued DSGS funding over a new ELRP structure.

Transcript Highlights:

• hot</c><02:20:45.200><c> water</c> electric stoves and electric hot water electric stoves and electric
• </c> final cost for new homes. final cost for new homes.
• Costs are up.
• Instead of recognizing energy efficiency as a helpful tool against rising costs and increasing electricity
• electricity costs in half in his first year.

Transcript Highlights:

• I understand that there's a cost to it, but I think that there's value for that cost in terms of proof
• I understand that there's a cost to it, but I think that there's value for that cost in terms of proof
• I understand that there's a cost to it, but I think that there's value for that cost in terms of proof
• </c> electric dirt bikes, if you will. electric dirt bikes, if you will.
• </c> commission as a low-speed electric bike. commission as a low-speed electric bike.

Committee: House Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• Solar generation is one of the least cost forms of electricity generation right now.
• It allows a household to put solar for anywhere from $500 to $2,000 to offset their electricity costs
• So cost sharing enables us to share costs.
• What's the electrical utility cost that you would recover from that? What's the standard?
• Pay back that loan with the marginal cost increase over their electricity bill after eight years; that

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• This kind of paralysis is particularly concerning for electric cooperatives that provide essential electricity
• That's not the case for electric cooperatives.
• I'm sure it's noticed on publications, electric bill, what have you.
• The purpose of this is to drive participation in these electric co-op elections.
• And so you're fully committed, but now you're saying by 2030, we have to go electric.

Transcript Highlights:

• You'd be talking significant costs, which is an impediment.
• Sixty percent of all of our electricity has come from coal in the state of Missouri.
• Out of these, about 3% generate electricity from the flow of water.
• Most of these projects ended before construction began, typically when the cost of adding electrical
• Most of these projects ended before construction began, typically when the cost of adding electrical

Committees: House Agriculture , House Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, we're trying to produce affordable electricity, so taxing electric ratepayers to pay for something
• Is it based on electrical generation? Is it some, Is it based on electrical generation?
• It is true that an electrical generation tax would raise costs upon Wyoming consumers by a similar amount
• And we have so many other resources at zero cost on the grid—zero cost on dispatch only.
• That's a very high-cost thing to do.

Summary: The committee met for its final meeting and approved the June 16 minutes. The main focus was policy development for advanced nuclear energy, including used fuel disposition, community engagement, and Wyoming’s legislative framework for nuclear development. Rod McCullum of the Nuclear Energy Institute briefed members on DOE’s “innovation campus” initiative for used nuclear fuel, explaining that DOE has narrowed responses to five states—Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Louisiana—and is seeking host agreements by September 30. He said the effort likely requires both federal and state legislation, and industry disputes DOE’s proposal to restart the nuclear waste fee, arguing the Nuclear Waste Fund should instead be used through appropriations for disposal-related work. He also answered questions about Yucca Mountain’s failure, deep seabed disposal, and international approaches to spent fuel, emphasizing consent-based siting and collaboration with states, localities, and tribes. Envoy Public Labs/GAIN presenters Chase Blazer and Austin Blanche described state-led community engagement models for advanced nuclear projects. They highlighted examples from Kentucky, Indiana, New York, Illinois, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Connecticut, noting that successful siting depends on early public education, local government support, workforce planning, and, in some cases, state funding for early site permitting. Committee members asked how broad engagement should be, whether it should be countywide or regional, and how small modular reactors differ in public outreach; the presenters said the approach should match the project footprint and local concerns, but that even SMRs still require broad education and stakeholder involvement. Wyoming Senator K.L. Case and Wyoming Energy Futures CEO Rita Meyer then described Wyoming’s legislative history and TerraPower’s Natrium project in Kemmerer. They reviewed Wyoming’s earlier 1995 high-level waste law, which effectively froze nuclear development until reforms in 2022 allowed on-site storage of waste from an active in-state reactor and removed much of the state-level permitting burden. Meyer said the project is now in construction, with a sodium-cooled fast reactor and molten-salt storage system, but faces major supply-chain challenges—especially HALEU fuel—and relies on private investment plus a federal ARDP grant rather than state dollars. Members asked about water supply, investor motives, supply-chain bottlenecks, and state revenue; the presenters said water comes from a PacifiCorp surface-water contract, investors are seeking long-term returns, and Wyoming expects benefits through property and sales taxes and a per-megawatt-hour fee rather than direct state investment.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> does is drive up costs. does is drive up costs.
• </c> my electricity bills are just higher. my electricity bills are just higher.
• Do you have upfront costs?
• </c><05:41:15.120><c> uh</c><05:41:15.360><c> cost</c> not see the type of cost uh cost not see the type
• </c> fuel cost of our fossil fueled fleet. fuel cost of our fossil fueled fleet.

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Summary: The committee met on April 14 and began by welcoming a new member, Representative Samban Denier, who briefly described his background as a Clarkson University environmental engineering graduate and Air Force veteran. The committee then moved into a work session on five energy-related bills, starting with Senate Bill 65 on stormwater management for solar arrays. Representative McGee presented amendment 1594H, which would exclude projects in shoreland areas from the bill’s permit-by-notification process and require the standard alteration-of-terrain permit review instead. Members asked for clarification, and McGee explained the amendment was requested by the New Hampshire Lakes Association and others to preserve the fuller review process for shoreland projects. The committee appeared satisfied with the explanation and moved on. The committee next discussed Senate Bill 230 on electric utility restructuring and investment in distributed energy resources. Members concluded that section one was unnecessary because a better definition of advanced nuclear resources had already been added to House Bill 710, and that section two would allow investment in advanced nuclear resources in a way they had already rejected in another bill due to ratepayer risk. Several members agreed the bill was redundant and supported an ITL motion. They also discussed Senate Bill 232 on net metering terms and conditions, focusing first on whether hydroelectric generators could be listed in ISO New England while also taking net metering credits. Granite State Hydropower Association representative Heidi Kroll testified that generators are subject to checks and balances, that double-dipping is not occurring, and that rules and tariffs already require participation in one market arrangement or the other. Discussion on Senate Bill 232 then shifted to section two, which would bar retroactive changes to net metering tariffs in place as of January 1, 2025. Representative McGee proposed alternative language to protect existing customer generators, group hosts, and municipal hosts from retroactive changes, while others said the language was needed to provide stability for current participants operating on thin margins. Some members supported the clearer wording; others argued the committee should not tie the hands of the PUC and DOE, noting future circumstances could require regulatory flexibility and that conflicts could be resolved in court if necessary. The committee did not take a final vote in the portion of the meeting provided, and the discussion was still ongoing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• One, you know, I am very mindful of cost and affordability and making sure that these costs are not passed
• Those costs are getting passed on to consumers.
• You know, it's been already said: there's no cost for a life here. And so thank you for that.
• Good afternoon, Brandon Ebeck from Pacific Gas and Electric.
• Those costs were never recovered from ratepayers.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Transcript Highlights:

• And we do away with our cheap energy and go with a higher and higher cost inefficient electricity and
• And we do away with our cheap energy and go with a higher and higher cost inefficient electricity and
• And we do away with our cheap energy and go with a higher and higher cost inefficient electricity and
• And we do away with our cheap energy and go with a higher and higher cost inefficient electricity and
• And we do away with our cheap energy and go with a higher and higher cost inefficient electricity and

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> municipalities face the same cost municipalities face the same cost pressures<00:58:10.000><c> as
• To quote this: “There is a frustrating status quo holding back electric vehicle sales and costing American
• cost of the payment of cost and cost of installation,<01:34:47.679><c> repair</c><01:34:48.080><c> and
• of asphalt and the cost of um um of cost of asphalt and the cost of um um of diesel<01:41:56.480><c>
• </c> We are at the point with electric We are at the point with electric vehicles<02:12:00.079><c> in