Energy (Utility Regulation)

SD 1092 prevents utility companies from passing costs for new interstate gas pipeline construction or expansion to ratepayers (customers who pay utility bills). It amends state law to require the department to reject any contract for gas, pipeline capacity, or storage where those costs would be recovered through customer rate increases. The bill directly affects utility companies seeking to build or expand interstate gas infrastructure and their ratepayers. This provision blocks such projects from being funded via future rate hikes without specific legislative approval. The law applies to contracts requiring new pipeline construction or expansion, not existing infrastructure.

HD 2778 prohibits public utility and ratepayer funding for large solar projects (500kW or larger) that would clearcut forests or woodlands. It specifically blocks funding for such projects located in priority wildlife habitats, critical environmental areas, or forest land as defined by state law. Exceptions apply to projects on brownfields, landfills, or previously developed land, and building-mounted solar installations. This bill directly affects solar developers planning large-scale projects in sensitive natural areas, changing how utility funding rules apply to these sites.