House adopts amendment to Senate File 17 to direct $10 million from existing account toward design of new coal-fired plant

The House adopted a third-reading amendment to Senate File 17 on Monday that directs $10 million from an existing 3-23 account to engineering and design for a new coal-fired power plant in Wyoming.

Representative Heiner moved third-reading amendment number 1 to Senate File 17, describing it as a non-appropriative allocation from an existing account that would serve as matching funds. "What it does is requires that of existing appropriations ... there's over a hundred million in this account ... it requires that $10,000,000 be utilized for the design and engineering of a new coal fired power plant in the state of Wyoming," Heiner said.

Representative Larson Lloyd asked whether the amendment would double-allocate funds if the supplemental budget later contained the same language; Representative Yin replied that it could create two separate pots of money and therefore be a duplication. Representative JT Larson said the amendment is complementary to enhanced oil recovery aims because a new plant could capture CO2 more efficiently, making CO2 available for enhanced oil recovery projects.

The amendment was adopted on division and the House later passed Senate File 17 on final reading. The roll call recorded 55 ayes, 5 nays and 2 excused.

Ending: Senate File 17 moves to the governor's desk after passage in the House; the amendment requires the $10 million allocation from existing appropriations to be used for design and engineering of a coal-fired power plant, with matching funds required for use of the allocation.