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House approves clarifying bill that keeps acquisition approvals with TPUC, excludes municipals
Summary
The House passed SB717 (substituted into HB796), clarifying that the Tennessee Public Utility Commission's exclusive authority over acquisitions of investor‑owned natural gas utilities includes transfers of related franchise rights for approvals after Oct. 1, 2025; sponsors said municipally owned utilities such as MLGW are not affected.
Chairman Vaughn moved to substitute and conform House Bill 796 to Senate Bill 717 and explained the measure clarifies the Tennessee Public Utility Commission's role in approving acquisitions or changes in control of investor‑owned natural gas companies, and that the transfer of related franchise rights would be encompassed for transactions 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 ... also applies to the transfer of any franchises that were held by the natural gas utility being acquired," Chairman Vaughn said.
Leader Camper and other members questioned whether the bill could affect data centers or municipal utilities; the sponsor said the amendment rewrote the bill and that the change is administrative and "has no nada or zero impact" on municipally owned utilities like MLGW because it applies to investor‑owned systems overseen by TPUC. The House adopted the substitute and passed the bill on final consideration as announced by the clerk.
