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Committee adopts amendment and advances bill to let Corporation Commission permit new renewable generation projects
Summary
House Bill 2155, as amended, would direct the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to establish a permitting process for new renewable generation facilities and improve early public notice; the committee adopted an amendment excluding transmission or distribution lines and voted 9-0 to advance the bill.
Representative Dobrinsky explained House Bill 2155 and an amendment that excludes transmission and distribution lines from the bill’s permitting scope. The committee adopted the amendment without objection and voted 9-0 to report the bill out of committee.
At the amendment reading, the chair read the change into the record: "I move to amend house bill 2,155 page 2 section 1 lines 13 through 14 by deleting the following phrase and any of the activities associated therewith and inserting in lieu thereof the following language, but shall not include transmission or distribution lines providing services to the facility." The amendment was identified as submitted by Dobrinsky.
Dobrinsky told the committee the change was requested by "some folks in the transmission business, distribution and transmission business," and that his intent was to bring new generation facilities under regulation without bringing transmission operators into that permitting process. He described the bill as establishing a process at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission "to permit new renewable facilities" using a framework similar to oil and gas permitting, and said it "should not require significant additional staff or resources to administer." He added the process would "help improve local notifications and transparency on these projects."
Representative Turner asked about paragraph g on page 7 and a clause requiring permits by 01/01/2026 for facilities to continue operations. Dobrinsky responded that the bill’s goal was to create a system prior to having no system, and that the process is not intended to be restrictive toward existing facilities. "The process through the corporation commission is not restrictive," he said, adding lawmakers expect existing facilities to meet industry standards and that the mechanism would give communities earlier notice of projects.
The amendment was adopted by unanimous consent. After further explanation, the committee voted 9-0 to report HB 2155 as amended out of committee.
