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Committee advances bill creating 'energy production zones' to encourage redevelopment of existing generation sites; wind and solar excluded
Summary
The committee advanced Senate Bill 425, which would designate ‘‘energy production zones’’ for redevelopment of former or existing generation sites of at least 80 megawatts and streamline certain local permitting for projects sited there; wind and solar were excluded from the expedited pathway in committee amendments.
Senate Bill 425, as amended, would create a mechanism to designate “energy production zones” — land parcels with existing or former generation facilities of at least 80 megawatts — and to ease certain local permitting and zoning requirements for new generation projects sited there. The bill, as amended in committee, excludes wind and solar from this expedited pathway and adds clarifications on moratoria and force‑majeure style delays.
Sponsor Senator Cook described the policy as a tool to encourage new generation to locate on sites that already have infrastructure: “a zone is a premise of land where there is an existing generation facility with a generating capacity of at least 80 megawatts regardless of whether that facility is operational,” the author said. Proponents argued such…
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