Committee introduces measure to direct federal land-use assessments to state energy fund

The committee voted to introduce RS31801, a legislative request that would direct Idaho’s portion of assessments paid by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licensees into an existing dedicated fund administered by the Governor’s Office of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Governor’s Office of Energy and Mineral Resources Administrator Richard Stover told the committee the change would “protect and advance the state's energy and mining policies and ensure that the state's engagement on such policies is meaningful and beneficial.” He said the funding source would come from assessments already paid by FERC licensees for use of federal lands and would not reduce other program revenues.

Stover said the office has seen about a 40% increase in energy and mining projects that implicate the National Environmental Policy Act process over the past three years and that most of the assessments come from hydropower operators. He told the committee the proposal would generate roughly $150,000 annually from 32 hydropower projects in Idaho, and that the utilities he has contacted “have all supported this.”

Committee members moved to introduce RS31801 and send it to print. The motion was made and seconded and advanced by voice vote.

If advanced into bill form, RS31801 would re-route the state’s remittances from certain FERC assessments into the fund used by the Governor’s Office of Energy and Mineral Resources to support coordination of state engagement on energy and mining projects. No statutory text or effective date was presented to the committee at this session.

Notes: the presentation referenced the National Environmental Policy Act and federal assessments administered by FERC; the administrator cited a recent presidential executive order on national energy emergency while describing an expected continued increase in projects.