Committee deadlocks on Home Energy Rebates and Speed Council; $24.6M federal rebate plan not adopted

The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee debated two related proposals for the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources: a request to accept and administer federal Home Energy Rebates Program funds (about $24.58 million for FY2026, including $20 million in direct rebates) and a separate governor‑recommended Speed Council proposal that would add one full‑time equivalent position and $481,000 from the general fund to streamline permitting for large infrastructure projects.

Kellen McGurkin, budget and policy analyst, told the committee the Home Energy Rebates Program stems from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and would provide roughly $80.8 million to Idaho through 2031; OEMR requested authority to administer a portion immediately for FY2026. McGurkin described the agency request as including $20,000,000 in trustee/benefits for direct household rebates, about $4,000,220 for a third‑party implementer, and roughly $502,000 for personnel (four limited‑term FTEs) to administer the program. He said no state match is required under current federal law and that nonparticipating states risk having their allocations redistributed to participating states.

Senator Woodward moved the Speed Council funding as a narrower, compromise motion. Senator Ward Engelking later offered an amended substitute that would have funded the Home Energy Rebates program with four FTEs and the federal appropriation. Supporters of the rebate motion argued the funds would flow directly to Idaho households and businesses — including seniors, veterans and people with disabilities — and pointed to statutory provisions that reallocate unclaimed funds to participating states.

Opponents questioned readiness to administer the federal program and whether sufficient committee support existed for the federal funding request. The committee held a sequence of roll‑call votes on the amended substitute, the substitute and the original motions. The transcript records that the amended substitute including the federal rebate appropriation failed on the committee roll call (grand total in the record: 9 ayes, 10 nays, 1 absent). Subsequent attempts to secure either the full rebate package or the governor's Speed Council were not approved by the committee acting as a whole; the chair announced the motions failed to achieve the necessary majority on the Senate side and therefore would not be adopted by the committee.

Senator Woodward framed the Speed Council proposal as an effort to coordinate permitting and reduce delays for energy and critical infrastructure projects. Senator Ward Engelking and other proponents argued that administering federal rebates would put Idaho households — seniors, veterans and disabled residents among them — at direct financial benefit. Analysts and members requested follow‑up on program design, federal reporting requirements and an implementation “exit strategy” described by OEMR staff.

Because the committee votes did not secure an affirmative majority on both the House and Senate sides of the committee for the proposals, neither the Home Energy Rebates administration request nor the Speed Council funding were adopted by the committee at this hearing. The transcript shows the items may be revisited, and some votes or final positions were recorded as referred to the other chamber for further action.