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Committee uses LD 32 vehicle to make PUC interconnection ombudsman a staff position
Summary
Committee amended LD 32 to convert the Public Utilities Commission interconnection ombudsman from an appointed statutory post to a regular PUC staff position funded by interconnection fees; PUC said the change is cost‑neutral and would keep the position stable across chair transitions.
The committee agreed to use LD 32 as a vehicle for a narrowly targeted technical change: convert the PUC interconnection ombudsman post from a statutory appointed position to a PUC staff position, preserving existing funding from interconnection fees.
PUC representative Deirdre Schneider told the committee the change would not increase commission budgets because the position has historically been funded by fees paid by applicants for interconnection. The proposed amendment would remove the appointment language and make the role a regular staff position within the PUC to avoid turnover tied to shifts in commission leadership.
Representative Sachs, using LD 32 as a vehicle since the repeal vehicle had been carried over, said the amendment is a small technical clarification that the PUC requested to improve administrative stability. The committee took a brief caucus and voted; the majority favored reporting the bill "ought to pass as amended" with a minority report proposing alternate repeal language (LD 515).
