Committee splits on Office of Energy and Mineral Resources’ Home Energy Rebates and proposed Speed Council funding

"I am Kellen McGurkin, a budget and policy analyst with Legislative Services," Kellen McGurkin told the committee as he introduced the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources (OEMR) request. The agency sought authority and funding to administer federal Home Energy Rebates created under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and a separate governor-recommended Speed Council for permitting reform.

McGurkin told the committee the Home Energy Rebates program provides federal funds for household appliance and home efficiency upgrades: "The home energy rebates program itself was created under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and offers $80,800,000 in federal funding to the state of Idaho to be used through 2031. These funds are to be used to administer rebates to households for appliance upgrades and home projects that improve energy efficiency and lower energy usage and costs." OEMR requested an ongoing federal appropriation of about $24,500,000 for program administration, including $20,000,000 in trustee/benefit funding for direct rebates, roughly $4,000,220 for a third-party implementer, and personnel to manage the program (four limited-service FTPs).

Separately, the governor recommended funding and one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTP) from the general fund — $481,000 total — to stand up a Speed Council to coordinate permitting and create a public dashboard for large infrastructure projects. Senator Woodward moved a narrowly tailored motion to approve the Speed Council funding only, stating he did not include the rebate request because he had not heard sufficient support for it.

Senator Ward Engelking offered an amended substitute motion that would have included the home energy rebates administration funding ($24,579,900 and 4 FTP) in addition to other adjustments. Proponents argued the majority of federal rebate funds would flow directly to Idaho households and noted an "exit strategy" for the program so state funds would not be committed if federal funds later proved problematic. Opponents raised concerns about readiness, oversight, and whether the committee should accept federal programs that require ongoing state administrative commitments.

Roll-call votes on successive motions and substitutes failed to secure the necessary majorities on both the Senate and House sides of the joint committee. The committee recorded multiple tie and split results during the sequence of votes; one recorded outcome for the amended substitute was reported as a grand total of 9 ayes, 10 nays and 1 absent and excused, and the chair announced the motion failed. Subsequent substitute and original motions likewise failed to secure the required affirmative votes on both sides before the committee moved on.

Ending: The committee did not adopt funding for the Home Energy Rebates administration or the governor's Speed Council at this hearing; members discussed program design, federal deadlines and the desirability of using one-time gubernatorial funds for a first-year Speed Council, and the matter may be revisited in subsequent committee action or in the House as recorded in the hearing.