Energy

HB 389, titled "Provide for setbacks for wind turbine generators," aimed to establish specific minimum distances for the construction of new wind turbine generators in Montana. The bill would have required wind turbines to be set back at least 1,250 feet from property lines with a wind energy agreement, 3,000 feet from public roads, and 7,920 feet from property lines without a wind energy agreement. This legislation would have directly affected wind energy developers and landowners by regulating the placement of new wind energy infrastructure.

House Joint Resolution 16 (HJ 16) is a resolution where the Montana Legislature recognizes the economic benefits that renewable energy projects have brought to the state. It expresses the Legislature's support for the future responsible development of new renewable energy projects in Montana. Copies of this resolution are to be sent to the Governor, the Montana Public Service Commission, the Montana Rural Electric Cooperatives' Association, and the Montana Congressional Delegation.

HB 623 establishes the conditions under which temporary spent nuclear fuel storage facilities can be sited within the state. It specifies that such facilities must be located on the site of an existing nuclear power generating facility and store fuel produced by that facility. Authorization for these facilities also requires a state recommendation from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and a license from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The bill amends existing law to clarify the DEQ's role in reviewing federal applications for these facilities, requiring applicants to submit their federal applications to the DEQ and pay a fee for the department's review and participation in federal proceedings.

HB 55 revises the laws governing how public utilities plan for their customers' future energy needs. It requires public utilities to submit detailed resource plans every three years, including evaluations of renewable energy and demand-side management scenarios, and to hold more public meetings before submitting these plans. The bill establishes a special revenue account within the Department of Environmental Quality to fund an independent evaluator, paid for by fees charged to public utilities, who will assist in reviewing these plans. Additionally, the state commission can now engage independent consultants to evaluate utility plans, with these costs being recoverable in rates charged to customers.

House Bill 696 establishes a framework for the legislative approval of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities within Montana. It authorizes such facilities if they reprocess fuel from in-state or out-of-state sources, receive a state recommendation from the Department of Environmental Quality, and obtain a federal license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The bill also amends existing law, requiring companies applying to federal energy or nuclear regulatory commissions to notify the state's Department of Environmental Quality and pay a fee to support the department's review and participation in federal proceedings.