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House passes measure clarifying PUC authority over natural gas acquisitions
Summary
The House approved a bill clarifying that the Tennessee Public Utility Commission has exclusive authority to approve acquisitions or control changes for investor‑owned natural gas companies, and that the law applies to approvals after Oct. 1, 2025; sponsors said the bill is administrative and has no fiscal impact.
The House approved the substitute to Senate Bill 717 (carried in the House as HB 796) to clarify regulatory authority over acquisitions of investor‑owned natural gas utilities. Chairman Vaughn, the sponsor, said the measure makes explicit that the Tennessee Public Utility Commission (TPUC) has exclusive authority over acquisitions and transfers of franchises for utilities approved after Oct. 1, 2025.
“This bill clarifies that the Tennessee public utility commission's exclusive authority to approve the acquisition or change in control of a natural gas company regulated by TPUC also applies to the transfer of any franchises that were held by the natural gas utility being acquired,” Chairman Vaughn said.
Leader Camper asked whether the amendment removed earlier provisions that might have affected data centers. Vaughn said the amendment rewrote the bill and emphasized the measure is administrative with no impact on rate‑setting or system operation; he repeatedly described the fiscal impact as "none, no, and nada."
The clerk recorded that the bill passed by constitutional majority.
