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Committee upholds chair's ruling, rejects substitution attempt on solar siting bill; members debate home-rule reach
Summary
A substitution motion to replace the carport-mounted solar bill with language restoring municipal home rule prompted an appeal; the chair ruled the substitution improper and the committee voted the appeal down, and members then debated whether the bill preempts local zoning for systems up to 5 MW.
The committee confronted a procedural challenge and policy dispute over Bill 6882, a measure affecting carport-mounted solar installations.
A senator moved to strike the bill and substitute new language (Senate Bill 9917) that would restore local control for municipalities over solar siting and thereby limit the Office of Renewable Energy Siting's reach. Committee members raised concerns that the substitution was made without 24-hour notice or the chair's consent. The chair ruled the substitution improper; a senator appealed the ruling and was "briefly heard" before the committee voted. "Aye" and "nay" votes were taken; the nays prevailed and the appeal failed, leaving the chair's ruling intact.
On the merits, senators questioned whether the bill would preclude localities from using zoning to block installations and whether the measure supersedes structural or electrical codes. Staff told the committee the bill would preclude local zoning ordinances from prohibiting carport-mounted solar energy systems with nameplate capacity of 5 megawatts or less but would not override municipal utilities' internal processes such as electrical codes.
After the procedural vote and discussion, the committee advanced the underlying bill to third reading.
