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Committee advances bill to encourage advanced grid technologies to ease transmission congestion
Summary
A Senate committee voted to give House Bill 93 a due‑pass recommendation after testimony from lawmakers, utilities advocates and environmental groups that the measure could allow the state's electric system to carry power more efficiently without building as many new transmission lines.
House Bill 93, a committee substitute as amended, won a committee recommendation Thursday after sponsors and outside witnesses said the measure would require utilities to plan for advanced grid technologies to relieve congested transmission lines and improve reliability.
Representative Ortez, the bill sponsor, told the Senate Conservation Committee the bill "is meant to address one of the problems that our electric grid is facing, which is congested transmission lines." She urged the committee to view advanced grid tools "like an energy efficiency for the electric grid," noting the technologies can increase capacity on existing wires without building new lines.
The bill directs utilities to include an advanced grid technology plan in their 20‑year integrated resource planning process and sets guidelines for the Public Regulation Commission (PRC) to consider cost recovery for investments in those technologies. Senator Padilla, joining the sponsor, said the measure could support state economic development goals by allowing power to move more efficiently across existing infrastructure.
Supporters who testified said the bill would complement transmission expansion and reduce environmental disturbance from new corridors. Sayuri Yamada, registered lobbyist for Clean Air Task Force, said the bill "promotes advanced grid technology that can optimize the capacity of existing grid infrastructure." Deborah Condit of the Inner West Energy Alliance and the Renewable Energy Industries Association's Jim Deshaudin also testified in favor, as did representatives of Green Latinos and the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter.
Committee members pressed sponsors and an expert witness, Dr. Anna Linden Weller of Western Resource Advocates, on costs, coverage and regulatory jurisdiction. Senator Townsend asked whether the bill would raise electricity prices for consumers; Representative Ortez and Dr. Weller said it could save money compared with building new transmission but that the bill did not guarantee rate decreases. The sponsors stressed the primary change is transparency and planning: "there has not ever been a specific set of guidelines for what we want these projects to do," Dr. Weller said, arguing the bill adds planning elements to make those investments more visible to ratepayers and regulators.
The committee discussed which utilities the bill covers and how it treats distribution cooperatives. The bill asks cooperatives to report on use of advanced technologies but does not require they deploy them in the same manner as investor‑owned utilities. Senators also asked about Federal Energy Regulatory Commission jurisdiction; the sponsors said they revised language to avoid conflict with FERC authority.
After questions and discussion, a committee member moved a "do pass" recommendation. By a committee vote of 6 yes, 2 no and 1 excused, the committee gave the bill a due‑pass recommendation to the floor.
Looking ahead, the bill would add a planning and reporting element for advanced grid technology in utilities' integrated processes and provide a framework for the PRC to consider cost recovery, while leaving detailed cost and deployment decisions to rate proceedings and PRC rules.
The committee hearing record shows multiple environmental and industry groups supporting the measure and senators expressing both interest in potential savings and concern about cost impacts to rural and low‑income ratepayers.
