Transcript Highlights:

• <04:33:08.320> and<04:33:08.561> resourcing the increased resource and resourcing the
• comprehensive study on offshore wind comprehensive study on offshore wind development<05:26:49.440
• <05:27:32.798> energy New England of a offshore wind energy New England of a offshore wind
• 80% complete with um offshore wind 80% complete with um offshore wind turbines<05:27:41.840>
• His latest target is Revolution Wind.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you have a resource if you need them? Okay, I don't think we have any questions.
• Okay, we will have a resource witness, Corey Castillo from the Comptroller's Office.
• Right now, members, we have two resource witnesses: Mr.
• Any questions of the resource witnesses? None. Okay. There's none.
• As I said, we have a resource witness. Do we have any cards? No?

Bills: SB868, SB1337, SB1371, SB1377, SB1426, SB1620, SB2064, SB2065, SJR4, SJR 4

Keywords: SB 868, rural volunteer fire department assistance program, volunteer fire department assistance fund, Texas Government Code, wildfire, wildland fire, high-risk wildfire area, fire suppression, rural fire departments, volunteer firefighters, emergency response, public safety, grant allocation, appropriations, disaster preparedness, tax penalties, interest calculation, overpayment, tax law, refund process

Transcript Highlights:

• disabilities<01:45:31.000> to<01:45:31.199> have<01:45:31.360> the<01:45:31.560> resources
• <01:45:32.520> and disabilities to have the resources and disabilities to have the resources
• Procurement should serve taxpayers’ interests: reliable vehicles and sturdy buildings, not a siphon on resources
• should serve taxpayers’ interests, providing reliable vehicles and sturdy buildings, not a siphon on resources
• limited government, reasonable expectation of privacy, and careful local stewardship of taxpayer resources

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, the national anthem, leaves of absence, guest introductions, and memorial remarks honoring former Representative Carolyn Gargas of Hollis, who was remembered for her long House service, work on child and family issues, and community involvement. The House then adopted a consent calendar and approved a motion to withdraw House Bill 431, which would have created a commission to review draft rules on minimum standards for public school approval and state academic standards; the motion failed after a roll call vote, so the bill remained in play. The House next took up House Bill 109-FN, relative to false reports to law enforcement. The majority supported the bill as a way to add penalties for knowingly false reports about law enforcement officers, arguing officers deserve protection from false accusations and that the knowingly standard is a high bar. The minority opposed it as duplicative of existing law and warned it could chill legitimate complaints against police. After debate and a division vote, the majority committee report of ought to pass was adopted, 198-173. The House also considered House Bill 218-FN, which would provide victims of crime a free police report. The committee amendment changed the bill so victims would receive a written confirmation that a crime occurred rather than the initial police report, to avoid conflicts with right-to-know law and active-investigation confidentiality. Supporters said the change was a small but important clarification agreed to by law enforcement and domestic violence advocates, while opponents argued the original language was already workable and that the floor amendment was unnecessary. A division vote was requested on the amendment, and the transcript ends during that debate before the final outcome on HB 218 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:21:13.240> to<00:21:13.440> ask resources to ask resources to ask questions<00:21:15.400
• last year, which is their latest resource plan.
• He said they restart every two years and will find out what was in the last resource plan.
• I think 25, 30 below zero, but we had winds of between 25 and 30 miles an hour.
• to the south and west of Sock Center, I think it’s 28 towers, 28 wind towers.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Energy Finance and Policy Committee met to approve the January 16 minutes and then heard House File 9, which was referred to the Committee on Taxes after the committee’s action. The bill was presented as an energy policy measure aimed at reliability and affordability. It would expand hydroelectric power’s eligibility under the state’s energy standard, delay certain carbon-free compliance requirements for utilities that do not meet a retail rate benchmark, prohibit local permits to demolish fossil fuel plants under certain conditions, state support for carbon capture and sequestration without creating a state funding obligation, end the nuclear moratorium, and expand the sales tax exemption for residential natural gas and electricity used as primary heat year-round starting after June 30, 2026. The committee also took up and adopted the A1 author’s amendment, which clarified that the carbon capture language does not obligate state spending. The bill’s sponsor argued that Minnesota’s current energy policy is driving up costs and threatening reliability, especially during extreme cold, and said the bill would create “off-ramps” from existing mandates to protect ratepayers and businesses. He cited reliability concerns, MISO/NERC risk assessments, rising utility rates, and the need for an all-of-the-above energy approach, including hydro and nuclear. He also said the bill would reduce taxes by broadening the sales tax exemption for residential heating. Testimony was mixed but generally focused on reliability, affordability, and the role of nuclear power. The Minnesota Rural Electric Association and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce supported the bill’s emphasis on keeping power reliable and affordable, with both saying Minnesota needs dispatchable, carbon-free resources and noting concerns about high electricity costs and future demand from data centers and AI. The Prairie Island Indian Community opposed lifting the nuclear moratorium without a viable waste solution, describing the long-term burden of spent nuclear fuel on its community and asking for more consultation. Xcel Energy said its nuclear plants have operated safely and reliably for decades, support low-cost and low-carbon power, and could be part of the state’s energy transition, but it emphasized the need for tribal participation and said decisions about retiring fossil plants should remain within the existing Public Utilities Commission resource planning process.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome everyone to the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee. It is Tuesday.
• Chair, just so that you know who my experts are, they're with the National Resource...
• Deputy Secretary at the Energy Minerals Natural Resources Department.
• I'm here today with Western Resource Advocates testifying in support of HB 184.
• Laurel Martinez with Western Resource Advocates (WRA) is in support of HM20.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We, our main focus deals with wind energy, cowboy arts.
• Several years ago, we had a wind program at the facility in Clayton.
• , wind turbine Center of Excellence.
• with wind certificates.
• We don't want wind energy. We want to keep our coal-fired plant.

Transcript Highlights:

• reports, not only does China's wind reports, not only does China's wind industry<00:39:51.280>
• <00:40:01.760> equipment, not only manufactures wind equipment, not only manufactures wind
• but also enjoys the largest wind but also enjoys the largest wind production<00:40:04.960> in
• is an investor and partner in a wind is an investor and partner in a wind project<00:40:23.359><
• life, the Trump bogus attack on wind life, the Trump bogus attack on wind power<00:40:54.560>

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . resources. resources.
• megawatts of new wind megawatts of new wind 800<00:37:36.000> megawatts<00:37:36.600>
• out of the intermittent bucket the wind out of the intermittent bucket the wind and<00:39:09.000
• reliable and affordable energy resource reliable and affordable energy resource we<00:58:05.040>
• Kentucky resources Kentucky water Kentucky resources Kentucky water resources<01:04:13.480> are

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:01:28 Introduction of Guests 00:02:08 American Electric Power and Kentucky Power Presentation 00:03:31 SB 89 Discussion 00:53:55 SB 89 Roll Call Vote 01:07:46, 958, all

Summary: The committee met for an initial natural resources hearing with a quorum present and introductory housekeeping, including prayer, roll call, and recognition of guests. Chair Smith outlined ground rules for questions and then invited Kentucky Power and American Electric Power representatives to the table to discuss a proposed plan involving the Mitchell Power Plant and future generation needs in Eastern Kentucky. Witnesses Cindy Wiseman, Alex Vaughn, and AEP CEO Bill Fehrman said the company’s goals are to stabilize and lower rates, reduce rate volatility, and expand generation in the Commonwealth. They explained that Kentucky Power seeks legislative authority to securitize its 50% interest in the Mitchell coal plant, describing securitization as a refinancing mechanism that would lower annual plant costs by about $34 million and help offset roughly one-third of the expected cost of adding new generation in Kentucky. They emphasized that the proposal is not intended to close Mitchell, and said Kentucky Power currently has no plan to divest its interest; the company still needs the plant to serve customers while it pursues additional dispatchable generation in Kentucky. Members pressed the witnesses on the plant’s book value versus fair market value, whether the Mitchell interest had ever been assigned a nominal value, how any divestiture proceeds would be handled, whether Kentucky Power owns Wheeling Power, and how long Mitchell can continue operating. The company said it values Mitchell at net book value for accounting purposes, not fair market value, and explained that Wheeling Power is a separate AEP affiliate and that West Virginia affiliates have already proposed securitization of their share. Witnesses said Kentucky Power’s interest cannot technically operate past 2028 without additional environmental control investment, while the West Virginia side is depreciating through 2040. They also described the financing timeline, saying securitization would require enactment of legislation, a PSC financing order, bond issuance, and then parallel work to acquire or build new generation, with any reinvestment terms to be addressed through the regulatory process.

Transcript Highlights:

• In addition to that, several of these jurisdictions are under-resourced.
• In addition to that, several of these jurisdictions are under-resourced.
• away when they could be using those resources for something else.
• And we use that information for the reports to make critical decisions on resources and how to get resources
• Resources and how to get resources out.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on California’s emergency alert and warning systems, especially in light of recent Southern California wildfires and the January 9 evacuation alert that was mistakenly sent to millions of residents. Opening remarks emphasized the loss of life, the strain on first responders, the importance of timely warnings, and concerns that public trust in alerts has been undermined by delays, confusion, and over-alerting. Members repeatedly raised questions about how to improve speed, accuracy, coordination across jurisdictions, and public understanding of the difference between evacuation warnings and orders. Cal OES staff described the state’s alert and warning framework, including SEMS, the State Warning Center, IPAWS, WEA, and EAS, and said local governments retain primary responsibility for issuing alerts because they know local roads, shelters, and hazards best. They said Cal OES supports local agencies with training, technical assistance, testing, and backup alerting help when requested, and that local alerting authorities must test their systems every 30 days and complete FEMA-required training. Members pressed Cal OES on gaps in smaller or under-resourced jurisdictions, the lack of a statewide unified system, compliance monitoring, redundancy for people without reliable technology, and whether the state should take a more active role. Cal OES said it could assist smaller jurisdictions and step in during emergencies, but that a statewide system would require further analysis and funding. Sheriff Eric Taylor of San Benito County emphasized that local control is essential because counties differ widely in structure, geography, and alerting responsibilities, and he described the challenges of rural areas, limited cell coverage, and multiple platforms such as Nixle, Reverse 911, and social media. Nick Russell of Watch Duty said the nonprofit fills gaps by providing fast, geospatially detailed wildfire information from volunteers and public data, and argued that context and redundancy are critical because official alerts often arrive too late or lack enough detail. Members praised Watch Duty’s usefulness and asked about incorporating similar capabilities into state systems. Public commenters also raised the need for broader redundancy, including earthquake-warning partnerships, and wildfire survivors urged the committee to address the confusing patchwork of alerts and to honor prior compensation commitments to PG&E fire survivors. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational only and adjourned after member questions and public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have had access to so many different resources, and we really appreciate that.
• Wind Energy Development Act.
• Wind Energy Development Act.
• Act 945. 2025, the Arkansas Wind Energy Development Act.
• But I know that back during session, there was a lot of controversy about wind power.

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee met to review a long agenda of agency rule changes, beginning with housekeeping on the order of business and then taking up rules from multiple state agencies. Early items included Department of Energy and Environment rules on landfill post-closure trust fund spending thresholds and liquefied petroleum gas standards, DFA’s odometer disclosure rule allowing electronic signatures and disclosures, and several Department of Health rules covering ionizing radiation, mobile home and recreational parks, lead-based paint, counseling licensure, hearing instrument dispensers, athletic training, dental specialties and compacts, nursing, pharmacy, physician assistants, medical compacts, speech-language pathology and audiology, radiologic technology, massage therapy, community health workers, doula certification, and cosmetology/body art. Most of these were described as technical updates, conformity with recent acts, federal standards, or compact participation, and nearly all were approved without objection after brief questions and, in many cases, no public comment. The committee also reviewed Department of Labor and Licensing rules on minimum wage/independent contractor standards, boiler rules, motor vehicle commission requirements for ATV/LSV dealers, professional wrestling regulation, appraiser qualifications, and military recruiting and retention programs. Testimony generally emphasized that the rules implemented recent legislation, updated fees or licensing standards, or streamlined existing processes. Members asked a few questions about fee structures, the rationale for regulating professional wrestling, and how the National Guard’s public-private partnership and incentive programs would work; the department said the recruiting incentives would be funded from existing appropriations and were intended to improve retention and force strength. These rules were also approved without objection. The most extensive discussion came on the Department of Education’s Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom Account Program rule. The department said the revisions, based on Act 920 of 2025, were intended to add guardrails, clarify allowable expenses, and speed approval of core educational purchases. Changes included defining core educational expenses, limiting certain sports-related spending, adding an intentional misuse standard, restricting phone purchases except for disability-related needs, setting a $1,000 threshold for additional review of technology purchases, capping carryover funds at $8,500, and creating a reconsideration process for denied expenses. Members raised concerns about safeguards, appeals, sports equipment, provider credentialing, rural vendor access, and whether the department would be flexible or overly restrictive. The department said it would review every request, provide written explanations for denials, allow appeals up to the State Board, and refer suspected fraud to prosecutors if necessary. After hearing from 13 members of the public, the committee continued to discuss the rule, but the transcript ends before any final vote on the EFA rule is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the weight of the resource. That has decreased.
• There's about 24 billion scallops in our resource right now.
• That's really one of the only sources of large scallops on the resource right now.
• The resource, the local purveyors, vendors, etc., everyone's doing insurance.
• wind is affecting the species.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The joint hearing focused on the Massachusetts sea scallop fishery, especially the economic importance of the industry, federal scallop management, and two policy questions: reopening the Northern Edge area on Georges Bank and allowing permit stacking/permit consolidation. Chairing senators emphasized their interest in hearing both sides, their frustration with federal bureaucracy, and their view that the issue should be guided by science while protecting the long-term resource and local communities. Dr. Kate O’Keefe of the New England Fishery Management Council and Kevin Stokesbury of UMass Dartmouth described the Magnuson-Stevens framework, annual catch limits, rotational area management, and the role of industry-funded surveys and the research set-aside program. They said scallops remain the most lucrative council-managed commercial fishery on the East Coast, but recent changes include more small scallops, lower biomass in some areas, higher natural mortality, and shifting abundance toward Georges Bank. On the Northern Edge, they explained that the council previously considered opening the area through a framework/joint action with habitat management, but discontinued the action in 2024 because of conflicting objectives involving scallop yield, habitat protection, and other species. They said the issue could be revisited through future council priority-setting. Representatives of the Sustainable Scalloping Fund argued that the fishery needs modernization to remain economically viable. They supported reopening the Northern Edge and strongly backed permit stacking, saying it would allow two permits on one vessel while keeping ownership caps in place, reducing costs, improving safety, and helping family-owned fleets avoid financial distress and outside investment. Port of New Bedford representative John Regan stressed the port’s central role in the state economy, the need to protect working waterfront infrastructure, and the importance of any permit changes preserving local ownership and participation. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and members asked that the witnesses keep the committee informed as the council and federal agencies consider next steps.

Transcript Highlights:

• <03:11:03.439> they for is gutting the very resources they for is gutting the very resources
• But today, in that column, you see it is almost filled with solar and wind resources, fortunately some
• Today, in that column, you see it is almost filled with solar and wind resources, fortunately some battery
• myo that huge stack of wind and solar the<03:31:25.439> intermittent<03:31:26.040> resources
• potential of American energy resources potential of American energy resources this<03:32:38.960>

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, February 13, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What could happen if we had more resources to reach those smaller communities?
• It's basically technical resources for them... basically technical resources for them to increase their
• It prohibits actions based on these eliminated programs to wind them up.
• Um, but there'd be some direction in section two to wind them up earlier.
• So, this term “wind up all activities,” is that a common term?

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is an obligation to protect the state's natural resources.
• Our landscapes, water resources, and air quality have been disproportionately impacted.
• I think that there's a way to keep residents safe and to preserve our natural resources.
• We simply cannot hit that target without New Mexico resources.
• We have experience of having a wind farm killed by litigation in Montana.

Transcript Highlights:

• Brian Cash from the Natural Resources Agency.
• that we find really valuable, our water resources, our recreation resources, et cetera.
• Their resources across the state, their emergency response resources, will continue.
• And I brought up the issue about Santa Ana winds.
• And while we talk about Santa Ana winds and we recognize that those wind conditions cause devastation

Summary: The subcommittee began by announcing a change in the agenda order, moving item 6 ahead of item 1 and then item 7, and noting there would be no votes taken on any items that day. Item 6 covered a proposed operational efficiencies control section for the Natural Resources Agency that would let multiple departments jointly fund landscape-scale or multi-jurisdictional projects and allow Finance to transfer climate bond funds to a lead state entity. The LAO said the proposal was reasonable but suggested the Legislature consider requiring summary notification on how it is used; Finance said it would consider that request. Item 7 focused on the 2026-27 biodiversity and nature-based solutions spending plan. Finance and the Wildlife Conservation Board described the climate bond funding for habitat restoration, wildlife crossings, public access, tribal nature-based solutions, and related work, including $111 million proposed for WCB and $30 million for Salton Sea habitat and public access projects. The LAO supported the overall approach but flagged the San Andreas Corridor Program as an area where the Legislature may want to specify geographic priorities. Members discussed the pace of Salton Sea work and whether the proposed projects would count toward disadvantaged community goals. Item 8 addressed Cal Fire’s aviation contract and staffing needs for wildfire response. Cal Fire said year-round fire activity, a larger and more complex aircraft fleet, and labor market pressures justified the proposed contract increase, including more mechanics, pilots, and maintenance support. The LAO recommended approval, saying the proposal addressed health and safety concerns. Members asked about contractor staffing, competition in the bidding process, and future technology for early fire detection and suppression. The committee then took up item 1 on golden mussel containment. Fish and Wildlife described the invasive species’ spread in the Delta, the task force and response framework, and a request for eight new positions funded by Prop. 4 to support control plans, outreach, monitoring, research, and coordination with partners and law enforcement. Members pressed the department on whether the state should fund more direct decontamination infrastructure and grants to local water managers, and on the realistic goal of containing the mussel. The chair and several members emphasized the urgency of the threat and requested an itemized breakdown of the $20 million request. The hearing then moved to a broader LAO overview of wildfire prevention and response funding, where the LAO summarized the state’s funding mix and warned that ongoing wildfire resilience funding will likely decline as one-time bond and GGRF funds are exhausted, prompting discussion of long-term funding options and the balance between prevention, suppression, and community hardening.

Transcript Highlights:

• That was after the wind quit blowing.
• , including... water, geologic mapping and hazards, a variety of energy resources, and mineral resources
• exploration for energy resources.
• And then understanding better certain geologic resources, critical minerals, being one of those resources
• exploration for energy resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• Only hurricane-force winds and our survival instincts.
• In January, when severe fire weather and wind conditions were projected, Cal OES mobilized resources
• At the beginning it was more frequent, or resource fairs.
• There was hurricane-force winds.
• and moving resources forward.

Summary: The committee heard a broad public safety budget hearing focused on youth justice funding, probation incentive grants, and disaster response and recovery. On the youth justice item, the Office of Youth and Community Restoration described a proposed change to the JJRBG funding formula that would shift resources away from a DJJ-based measure and toward county youth population, serious offenses, and step-down placements in less restrictive programs. Members asked about data on Native American youth; OYCR said statewide data are limited, but its SYTF data show about 1% of youth in secure youth treatment facilities were Native in 2024. The Department of Finance had no objections, and the item was discussed as a way to support alternatives to long-term incarceration. The committee then reviewed the community corrections performance incentive program for county probation departments. The Department of Finance proposed stabilizing the program with a maintenance payment, updating the performance baseline, and adding a growth factor; the LAO agreed the formula needed changes but recommended using 2022-23 data instead of 2021-23, using marginal rather than average cost assumptions, rejecting the growth payment and minimum guarantee, and adding stronger oversight through the BSCC. Finance said it was open to some technical changes but opposed a new BSCC audit framework, noting Judicial Council already surveys probation departments and that evidence-based practice use has increased over time. Members and staff indicated the proposal still needed further work. A major portion of the hearing focused on the January 2025 Southern California wildfires and state disaster response. A resident of Altadena gave emotional testimony about evacuation failures, loss of home, and the need for accountability. LAO and Cal OES outlined the disaster response and recovery system, including mutual aid, alert and warning, debris removal, FEMA and state funding streams, and the long timeline for reimbursement. Cal OES said it had pre-positioned resources, temporarily took over the county’s wireless emergency alert function for about three weeks, coordinated debris removal and recovery operations, and had already allocated more than $286 million in state funds. Officials also discussed the 100% federal cost share for emergency work for 180 days and the uncertainty created by changing federal processes and the cancellation of the BRIC resilience program. The committee also heard two smaller Cal OES items: a request to reappropriate about $22 million for the law enforcement mutual aid reimbursement program, which the LAO said should be placed in statute with clearer goals and reporting, and an update on Victims of Crime Act funding, where Cal OES said federal VOCA allocations have fallen sharply and that roughly $224 million would be needed to maintain current service levels if federal funding does not improve. Public comment included a request for funding to expand datacasting and emergency alert receivers for wildfire and earthquake warning.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also breaks gas, wind, you name it.
• But then also resources that those countries want.
• But then also resources that those countries want.
• But then also resources that those countries want.
• Um, we are lucky to have these resources under our feet.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have added wind and solar to the generation mix.
• We don't know exactly when we're going to have them. days when we don't have so much wind.
• Today are batteries, so a battery can be a load. or it can be a resource.
• So it's not a grid resource. It's never been connected to the grid. There's never been stability.
• Solar and wind during winter storms are...

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, my county is dealing with the solar and wind issue even right now.
• The people that are pushing this are people that are taking natural resources from our state and from
• And so I agree with you 1,000% on the resource deal.
• And so I agree with you 1,000% on the resource deal.
• You know, you've got resource, God-given resources that have been there hundreds of millions of years

Keywords: 959, house, all