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House Energy committee advances HB55 and passes multiple bills and resolutions
Summary
The House Energy, Technology and Federal Relations committee took executive action on several items. HJ1 (tribal funding resolution) passed 11‑3; HB45 passed (13‑1); HB53 passed by voice (unanimous); and HB55 (utility acquisition/competitive solicitation rules) passed as amended (12‑2) after three committee amendments and extended debate about preapproval language and public‑meeting requirements.
The committee reconvened for executive action and moved a set of bills and resolutions to a final committee vote. Representative Running Wolf’s House Joint Resolution 1 (HJ1), urging Congress to fully fund public safety and law enforcement for tribes, passed on a roll call with 11 ayes and 3 no's after members discussed a similar 2023 resolution and whether prior gubernatorial action had been completed.
House Bill 45, which removes statutory references to a universal fund/performance assurance account for Public Service Commission regulation, passed by voice vote; the clerk recorded a tally of 13 ayes and 1 no.
House Bill 53 (Department of Military Affairs request to ease competitive bidding for National Guard weekend projects) passed after an amendment and a unanimous voice vote.
The committee spent the bulk of its time on House Bill 55, a bill from the Select Committee on Energy Resource Planning and Acquisition that revises requirements for an integrated lease cost plan, requires competitive solicitation in certain circumstances, and establishes an independent evaluator process. Committee members debated several proposed changes: amendment 001 restored longer public comment and added mandatory public meetings language in some places; Representative Brewster proposed (and the committee agreed) to remove language that could have allowed utilities to avoid competitive solicitation when seeking PSC preapproval and to preserve the existing preapproval statute cross‑reference. Alan Olson of Northwestern Energy explained "placed in rate base" to the committee as meaning charges the utility may seek to recover through PSC‑approved rates. Amendment 002 addressed clerical corrections, changed fee collection references to the commission, and clarified the independent evaluator cannot be used where a conflict of interest exists. Amendment 003 made timing and public‑meeting clarifications and superseded earlier changes; after amendments were consolidated the bill passed on roll call 12 ayes and 2 no's, carried as thrice amended.
Members said the sequence of amendments represented an effort to reconcile competing interests — consumer protections for notice and comment, utility preapproval clarity, and agency responsibilities for an independent evaluator — and staff confirmed the appropriation language for DEQ and PSC would fund the implementation duties described in the bill.
Ending: The committee completed executive action on the listed items, advanced HB55 as amended to the next stage, and adjourned without a Friday meeting.
