Transcript Highlights:

• That's one of the reasons we moved to where we did because of the Sun Trail and the access and what it
• Funding for electric chargers and grid assessments and grid upgrades.
• Funding for electric chargers and grid assessments and grid upgrades.
• And more accessible for everyone, or is it, you know, you’re basically going to look at high-density
• And as access to aviation becomes more available and as those systems more scale up, we'll see those

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met and first received an update from FDOT on the Sun Trail shared-use nonmotorized trail program. FDOT said the program, created in 2015 and expanded by 2023 legislation, now includes connections to the Florida Wildlife Corridor and received a one-time $200 million appropriation plus increased annual funding. The department reported programming about $180 million of that funding, completing 42 construction projects totaling nearly 95 miles in 21 counties, and installing trail counters and QR-code surveys to measure usage and economic impact. Members expressed support for the program and asked no substantive questions. The committee then heard a presentation on FDOT’s locally administered state transportation funding programs, including SCOP, SCOPM, SCRAP, SIGP, and TRIP. FDOT explained these programs support local roadway resurfacing, bridge repair, drainage, paving unpaved roads, and safety or capacity improvements, with varying state match levels depending on the program and eligibility. FDOT said its adopted five-year work program includes more than $1.4 billion for local transportation improvement projects. A member asked whether toll revenues from Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties fund these programs; FDOT said it would research the funding source and follow up. The committee’s main discussion was a panel on advanced air mobility (AAM), including FDOT and industry representatives from Supernal, Joby, Atlantic Aviation, Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, and Eve Air Mobility. FDOT described its AAM planning work, advisory committee, local government guidebook, and upcoming training, while panelists emphasized Florida’s leadership, the likely use of existing airport and heliport infrastructure first, and the expectation that private investment will fund much of the early vertiport buildout. Members raised concerns about community acceptance, privacy, zoning, airspace congestion, security, and lessons from scooters and drones. Panelists repeatedly stressed a “crawl, walk, run” rollout, local government coordination, multimodal connectivity, and public outreach. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after the panel.

Transcript Highlights:

• electric grid. electric grid.
• grid at large. large. large.
• grid storage. grid storage. >> Mr.<00:28:35.200> Hawk, >> Mr.
• grid. It's very flexible geographically. grid. It's very flexible geographically.
• fully proven to the grid. fully proven to the grid.

Bills: HF4059, HF76

Keywords: climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, financing, sustainability, environmental policy, renewable energy, Minnesota Climate Innovation Financing Authority, earned incentive release credit, release credits, supervised release, corrections, Minnesota Department of Corrections, sentence reduction, good time, prison time, incarceration, violent offenses, murder, criminal sexual conduct, sex offenses

Transcript Highlights:

• and we are using nuclear in to the grid and we are using nuclear in some<00:14:34.800> areas<
• The delays, uh, delay businesses’ access to capital and consume substantial resources to comply with
• The delays, uh, delay businesses’ access to capital and consume substantial resources to comply with
• We don't have the grid to support ourselves, let alone them.
• <01:27:44.360> particularly electrical grid particularly electrical grid particularly intermittent

Bills: HF1277, HF1006

Keywords: data centers, tax exemption, Minnesota statutes, economic development, employment growth, property tax, abatement, land bank, redevelopment, political subdivision, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The reality is that for far too many survivors, the added barriers of language access make access to
• Language access can also build trust.
• We are grateful for the governor's executive order on language access, but language access services are
• I can imagine that it's also a matter of access—what access we have.
• What if the grid goes down?

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight heard testimony on several bills. Senator Mike Moore supported S. 2185, which would delay implementation of the heavy-duty omnibus/advanced clean truck requirements while requiring the Commonwealth to purchase or lease electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles starting in 2025; he argued the delay is needed because infrastructure, grid capacity, vehicle availability, and costs are not yet ready. The committee also heard strong support for S. 2156/H. 3318, which would require free menstrual products in public buildings, with advocates and students describing period poverty and the need to treat menstrual products like other basic restroom supplies. Senator John Keenan testified for S. 2158, a bill to let municipal light plants protect proprietary and competitively sensitive information from public disclosure while keeping board meetings and minutes open, saying it would help level the playing field against larger competitors. A major portion of the hearing focused on S. 2125/H. 3384, the language access and inclusion bill. Testimony from the AAPI Commission, Mass Speaks coalition members, Mass Appleseed, MLRI, ATASK, MAPC, the Boston Bar Association, Mass Advocates for Children, and others described barriers faced by limited-English-proficient residents in accessing MassHealth, DCF, courts, domestic violence services, schools, and other state services. Witnesses cited untranslated documents, inadequate interpretation, delays, and the burden placed on bilingual staff and children; several also pointed to recent federal moves toward English-only policy as making state action more urgent. Committee members asked questions about implementation, interpreter availability, and the role of technology and remote participation, and the chair noted the bill had been reported favorably in a prior session and intended to be again. The committee also heard testimony on time-zone legislation. Dr. Karin Johnson, representing sleep medicine interests, supported H. 3405 for permanent standard time and opposed S. 2157 for permanent daylight saving time, arguing that standard time better aligns with circadian rhythms and health, while permanent daylight saving time would worsen morning darkness and sleep disruption. Members questioned the strength of the scientific evidence and discussed school start times, geography, and whether Massachusetts should align with neighboring states. No votes were taken during the hearing, and testimony continued on additional bills as the session progressed.

Transcript Highlights:

• And while the legislature stopped that particular issue, he was going to directly access the grid.
• And while the legislature stopped that particular issue, he was going to directly access the grid.
• build out our electrical grid.
• build out electrical grid.
• Access to water is something, access to water is something that the people in my precinct think about

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They represent poor land use in premium transit-accessible locations.
• They represent poor land use in premium transit-accessible locations.
• <00:53:31.359> Data from frequent transit access. Data from frequent transit access.
• It prevents grid strain and ensures reliability.
• zones while ensuring electrical grid zones while ensuring electrical grid capacity,<00:56:16.319

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The explosion of artificial grid.
• Every minute you own the electric grid.
• permission to interconnect to the grid permission to interconnect to the grid is<03:08:18.000>
• Delivering the grid of the future, delivering the interconnected, flexible, diversified grid of the future
• And when the grid strains, costs rise.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so it taking down one grid, right?
• into the existing transmission grid? into the existing transmission grid?
• transmission and distribution grid transmission and distribution grid locally.<00:33:31.919>
• <00:38:23.839> and transmitted throughout the grid and transmitted throughout the grid and
• <01:49:15.360> into out how to unlock that access into out how to unlock that access into

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So what drive grid planning studies.
• <01:23:44.320> to was largely um to to gain access to was largely um to to gain access to
• Uh, used to be you thought about grid operations and grid planning as a summer issue.
• <01:29:00.880> and<01:29:01.040> grid thought about grid operations and grid thought
• about grid operations and grid planning<01:29:01.520> as<01:29:01.679> a<01:29:01.840>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• An act relating to disabilities, enacting the Accessibility Act to improve the accessibility of state
• agencies, creating the Office of Accessibility to implement and administer the Accessibility Act, creating
• an act relating to disabilities, enacting the Accessibility Act to improve the accessibility of state
• agencies, creating the Office of Accessibility to implement and administer the Accessibility Act, creating
• It was not using power from the grid. Is that correct? Mr. President, correct.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• is being generated and put onto the grid is being generated and put onto the grid because<00:26:
• removes the grid sorry moves the grid removes the grid sorry moves the grid modernization<00:29:
• <00:31:18.360> modernization respond to how the grid modernization respond to how the grid
• we're going to have to build grid we're going to have to build grid additional<01:42:33.239>
• grid<01:42:34.119> infrastructure additional grid infrastructure additional grid infrastructure

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Since you and they are very accessible, like you, they're on the job 24-7-365.
• As long as the grid is reliable, then you don't have any issues.
• It's much cheaper from the grid. The applications that the... It's much cheaper from the grid.
• Okay, moving on to access to EERC... Okay, moving on to access to EERC researchers.
• modeling, transmission modeling, looking at grid resiliency.

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of the Mincota Power Cooperative headquarters before returning for presentations on large energy consumers, especially data centers. The first presentations focused on how North Dakota should respond to rapid growth in energy-intensive projects, with speakers emphasizing the need for reliable transmission, local decision-making tools, and factual information for county and township officials who are being asked to weigh major projects with limited staff and technical support. The North Dakota Transmission Authority director said local governments are being asked to make high-impact decisions on pipelines, transmission lines, large agriculture, wind, solar, carbon dioxide pipelines, direct-air capture, and data centers, and urged development of simple statewide decision tools and support from the League of Cities and Association of Counties. The Department of Environmental Quality’s air division director said North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the nation, but large data centers can create air-quality concerns because of diesel backup generation; he said the department is requiring air monitors at some facilities and expects grid power and, potentially, cleaner natural gas backup to reduce emissions. Members asked about emissions standards, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession at DEQ. The Department of Water Resources director said North Dakota’s water law is based on common ownership and prior appropriation, and that data centers generally use relatively small amounts of water, often in closed-loop systems. He said the Missouri River and groundwater supplies are ample for projected needs, that the department’s permitting process protects senior water rights, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use a very small share of Missouri River flow. Members asked about downstream impacts and compared data center water use with fracking. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd Erickson urged the committee to study how other states regulate data centers, warned against litigation-driven delays and overly broad local ordinances, argued reclamation bonding should be handled at the state level if at all, and said data centers can bring jobs and tax base but should remain subject to local zoning. The committee ended the morning session for lunch and later heard an EERC update from CEO Charles Gorecki on the center’s 75 years of work in energy and environmental technologies, especially oil and gas development and related research.

Transcript Highlights:

• Since you and they are very accessible, like you, they're on the job 24-7-365.
• As long as the grid is reliable, then you don't have any issues.
• It's much cheaper from the grid. The applications that the... It's much cheaper from the grid.
• Okay, moving on to access to EERC researchers. Okay, moving on to access to EERC researchers.
• modeling, transmission modeling, looking at grid resiliency.

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of Minnkota Power Cooperative before hearing presentations on large energy consumers and related infrastructure issues. The first presentation, from the North Dakota Transmission Authority, focused on the need for better local decision-making tools for counties, townships, and planning and zoning boards facing major projects such as transmission lines, pipelines, data centers, wind, solar, and large-scale agriculture. The speaker urged more objective, data-driven analysis, noted that local officials often have limited time and resources, and said the state should support training and tools through groups like the League of Cities and the Association of Counties. Members asked about proactive outreach, data center ordinances, and how to avoid subsidizing large loads or causing reliability problems. The Division of Air Quality then discussed environmental oversight of data centers, emphasizing that North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the country and that the agency’s role is limited to air, water discharge, stormwater, and waste—not zoning or water use. The presentation explained that data centers generally have low direct emissions but may rely on diesel backup generators when the grid is unavailable, which creates air-quality concerns; the department said it is requiring air monitors at some projects to collect real-world data and guide future decisions. Members asked about generator emissions, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession, and the agency said permit applicants pay for the monitors while the state handles some QA work. The Department of Water Resources followed with an overview of North Dakota water law and data center water use. The director explained the state’s prior-appropriation system, the public-interest review for permits, and the large overall water supply available from groundwater and the Missouri River. He said most proposed data centers use closed-loop cooling systems and generally request relatively small amounts of water compared with other uses such as power plants, irrigation, and oilfield operations, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use only a tiny fraction of Missouri River flow. Questions focused on downstream impacts and comparisons to fracking water use, and the director said the state’s use is too small to materially affect downstream users. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd-Erickson testified online about data center zoning and permitting. He asked the committee to have Legislative Council gather information on how other states handle data center permitting and to keep the topic on the interim agenda. He argued that local zoning should remain local, but said counties lack the technical and legal resources to manage complex reclamation or bonding requirements and that state-level enabling legislation may be more appropriate. He also recommended eliminating tax incentives for data centers. The committee chair said staff would prepare a document on other states’ zoning and permitting approaches. After a lunch recess, the committee reconvened at the EERC, where CEO Charles Gorecki gave an overview of the center’s 75 years of work and its role in oil and gas, carbon management, and other energy technologies, highlighting enhanced oil recovery and carbon dioxide utilization as major opportunities for future production and tax revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're wanting to get to the grid, and we want to help them get to the grid and we want to help them
• and we want to help them get to the grid and we want to help them get to the<02:34:56.080> grid
• them get to them to the grid. them get to them to the grid.
• <02:40:40.880> date, okay with that being their grid date, okay with that being their grid
• the the grid and you're fur regulated. the the grid and you're fur regulated.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• is exported to the grid. is exported to the grid.
• <04:42:11.280> needs<04:42:11.520> the grid at a time when the grid needs the grid
• to to wait until the grid needs it? to to wait until the grid needs it?
• Liberty could charge it from the grid. Liberty could charge it from the grid.
• . grid. grid.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• plants um that are Regional grid plants um that are Regional grid operator<01:48:38.960> ice<
• and a reliable grid, and we need to have low-cost energy.
• produce a resilient grid uh and a<02:01:55.920> reliable<02:01:56.920> grid<02:01:57.920
• state even though it's a regional grid state even though it's a regional grid wouldn't<02:11:20.920
• <02:32:44.680> rate interestate 71 access rate interestate 71 access rate filings<02:32:46.920

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Very important for us for sunrun to provide Floridians with safe, reliable, resilient access to power
• So you have gigawatts of storage ready to dispatch homegrown sunshine onto the grid when needed during
• And so that is the second way that we can offer services to the grid.
• So very short presentation here about what we do, what we can do for the grid.
• And I appreciate everyone's presentations to when it comes to the modernization of the grid.

Transcript Highlights:

• Council of Texas, ERCOT, who runs the majority of the Texas electric grid.
• What consumers must pay to connect a new generation resource to the grid.
• Anything above that allowance must be covered by the generator that's connecting to the grid.
• To the grid and ERCOT say since winter storm URI in the last five years roughly.
• How many megawatts is that produced on the grid? That's not a trick question.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It will reduce the stress on our grids. It will save money for Texas families.
• For... to create a more efficient, reliable, secure grid system.
• We promised them we were going to fix our grid.
• Necessary to ensure the reliability or adequacy of an electric power grid in this state.
• That makes our grid more resilient and reliable at a time when we have AI and data centers that...

Bills: HB2293, HB2694, HB2999, HB3694, HB3254, HB4662, HB5629, HB5632, HB5675, HB5664, HB5671, HB5680, HB5682, HB5693, HB4158, HB5695, HB4669, HB5696, HB5698, HB5677, HB5699, HB5694, HCR81, HCR83, HCR84, HCR89, HCR111, HCR142, HR868, SB682, SB1351, SB1895, SB1931, SB2141, SB3044, SCR1, SCR6, SCR37, SB458, SB482, SB927, SB984, SB651, SB1620, SB2124, SB2448, SB841, SB843, SB402, SB2662, SB2053, SB2332, SB2112, SB745, SB1247, SB1789, HB75, HB5354, HB4683, HB4847, HB1449, HB3833, HB265, HB1845, HB 108, HB1960, HB1955, HB2512, HB2581, HB2803, HB1738, HB636, HB2638, HB2655, HB871, HB 1107, HB1765, HB1822, HB3679, HB4099, HB3732, HB3171, HB3749, HB2814, HB3977, HB4204, HB4207, HB4449, HB1820, HB1876, HB1939, HB1347, HB2593, HB2136, HB2658, HB2757, HB2080, HB3063, HB3006, HB2844, HB3241, HB3680, HB3169, HB2078, HB2507, HB4559, HB3405, HB475, HB3463, HB3441, HB3520, HB3178, HB158, HB2060, HB4991, HB1991, HB5596, HB2014, HB2731, HB2417, HB2399, HB2301, HB3335, HB3234, HB3320, HB4848, HB4748, HB4769, HB4795, HB2086, HB2234, HB4916, HB5624, HB4505, HB5093, HB5302, HB5402, HB5606, HB4630, HB4924, HB3339, HB3793, HB3631, HB4882, HB5509, HB5499, HB5520, SB1177, SB1559, SB746, SB434, SB1383, SB1214, SB1079, SB3031, SB2141, SB2185, SB1895, SB1241, SB901, SB1883, SB552, HB 1249, HJR218, HB5623, SB687, SB1332, SB458, SB482, SB927, SB984, SB651, SB1620, SB2124, SB2448, SB841, SB843, SB402, SB2662, SB2053, SB2332, SB2112, SB745, SB1247, SB1789, HCR76, HCR127, HCR9, HCR40, HCR118, HR559, HCR59, HCR135, HCR141, HCR46, HCR109, HCR10, SB3037

Keywords: Sweeny Hospital District, board of directors, local governance, elections, healthcare administration, Brazoria Drainage District, commissioners, vacancies, resignation, hydrogen vehicles, weight limitations, transportation, environmental impact, clean energy, deep fake, intimate depictions, consent, digital media, criminal penalties, State Board of Education

Transcript Highlights:

• They represent an effort by the state to encourage resiliency and hardening of our grid infrastructure
• How many PSC members do you think have gone using the grid system to identify any work that's been done
• standard activity the legislature's empowered the commission to do is to ensure the safety of the grid
• can recover the costs they need that are shown to be prudent in the public interest to ensure the grid
• Grids don't work on the invisible lines of a municipal boundary. I learned very early on.

Summary: The Committee on Regulated Industries met with a quorum and took up four bills. SB 288 on rural electric cooperatives was presented as a negotiated glitch bill to narrow statutory language so co-ops can choose generation and power purchases based on cost and reliability without exposure to special-interest litigation, while preserving consumer protections. A representative from the Florida Electric Cooperatives Association waived in support, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then considered SB 364 on public accountancy, which was described as a modernization and efficiency measure to expand CPA licensure pathways without lowering standards. An amendment correcting a drafting error and restoring automatic mobility language was adopted without objection. Jason Harrell of FICPA waived in support, while one speaker appeared to discuss a utility issue unrelated to the bill. CS for SB 364 was reported favorably. Chair Bradley’s SB 200 on utilities addressed utility-scale solar decommissioning and storm protection plans. The bill would authorize counties to adopt solar decommissioning ordinances, direct DEP to develop best practices, and require the PSC to consider whether storm protection plan benefits exceed costs. County and AARP representatives waived in support, and the Small County Coalition spoke favorably, saying the bill was a needed step that did not restrict solar development. SB 200 was considered favorably. The committee also heard SB 126 on the Florida Public Service Commission, a strike-all bill focused on PSC reform and utility affordability. The amendment would add CPA and financial analyst expertise, require stronger PSC order support, tighten intervention standards, set return-on-equity and review criteria, require consideration of executive compensation and affordability, and direct the PSC to weigh risk from storm and cost-recovery mechanisms. PSC staff answered extensive questions about utility hardening, storm recovery, and rate-setting. Supporters said the bill would improve accountability and affordability, while others urged stronger enforceable affordability standards and restoration of the return-on-equity cap. Despite concerns, the bill was reported favorably as CS for SB 126.