SB 998: Public utilities; cost of transmission upgrades; modifying application process for construction of certain facilities; establishing cost recovery provisions. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to clarify cost recovery rules for electric utilities, particularly regarding transmission upgrades and new generation facilities. The Senate version adds specific conditions for when costs are presumed recoverable and shortens approval timelines for certain projects.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly includes costs related to wind generation projects approved by the Southwest Power Pool and clarifies rules for natural gas generation facilities.

REQUIREMENT

Added presumption that costs for transmission upgrades resulting from federal regulatory orders are recoverable by utilities, with specific rebuttal conditions.

Added requirement that competitive bidding results from utility projects be considered substantial evidence to satisfy reasonable alternatives analysis.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded cost recovery eligibility to include reasonable costs for wind generation projects approved by the Southwest Power Pool placed into service before December 31, 2013.

TIMELINE

Reduced the Commission's decision timeline for new generation facility applications from 240 days to 180 days for natural gas facilities.

DEFINITION

Clarified that equipment or facilities for environmental compliance are conclusively presumed used and useful when approved by the Commission.

SB998 (3-24-25) (GREEN) FS FA1.PDF → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was reformatted from a Senate version to a House floor substitute version, with minor text corrections and formatting adjustments. The substantive policy content regarding utility cost recovery, transmission upgrades, and environmental compliance requirements remains unchanged.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; only formatting and version identification were updated.

TECHNICAL

Header information was changed from Senate floor substitute to House floor substitute version with updated page numbering and formatting.

Minor text corrections including removal of duplicate 'and' words and formatting adjustments to section numbering.

Added note indicating that bold face text denotes committee amendments in the House version.

Enrolled (final version) → SB998 (3-24-25) (GREEN) FS FA1.PDF · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted with new page numbering and line breaks while preserving the original legislative content. No substantive policy changes were made to the actual provisions regarding public utility cost recovery, transmission upgrades, or environmental compliance requirements.

TECHNICAL

Added page numbers and line numbers throughout the document, converting the text from a continuous format to a paginated PDF-style layout.

Replaced the original header information with new formatting including 'FLOOR SUBSTITUTE' designation and updated bill metadata.

Adjusted paragraph spacing and line breaks throughout the text to match the new document structure.

Introduced → Engrossed · 6 edits · Mar 27, 2025

MODERATE

SB 998 was amended to update statutory language, add sponsors to the bill header, and modify provisions related to utility cost recovery and regulatory timelines. The changes include clarifying environmental compliance requirements, adding specific years to federal act references, and adjusting timeframes for Commission decisions on utility applications.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on public utility regulation and cost recovery, but the amendments refine procedural requirements and clarify statutory references.

TECHNICAL

Added bill sponsors (Green and Gollihare of Senate, Caldwell of House) to the header section.

Updated the bill title and summary to reflect modifications to the application process for facility construction and updated statutory language.

Added specific years to federal environmental act references (e.g., Clean Air Act of 1990, CERCLA of 1980) for clarity.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for Commission to consider reasonable alternatives when reviewing utility applications, with different timelines for natural gas facilities versus other fuel sources.

Added provision that competitive bidding bids received within 12 months of the final bid due date count as substantial evidence for reasonable alternatives.

Changed the timeframes for Commission orders on utility applications from 240 days to 180 days for natural gas facilities, while keeping 240 days for other facilities.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 5 edits · May 7, 2025

MODERATE

The bill transitioned from an Engrossed version to an Enrolled (final) version, with significant formatting and structural changes while maintaining the core legislative intent. The primary substantive changes involve clarifying the bill's title and scope, removing the 'emergency' declaration, and reorganizing the statutory language for better readability. The policy provisions regarding utility cost recovery for transmission upgrades and environmental compliance remain substantively unchanged.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on Oklahoma public utilities and the Corporation Commission's regulatory authority. The final version removes the 'declaring an emergency' provision that was present in the Engrossed version, which may affect the bill's urgency and legislative priority.

SCOPE

The bill title was revised to remove 'updating statutory references' and 'updating statutory language' from the scope description, and 'providing an effective date' was removed entirely.

REQUIREMENT

The provision declaring an emergency at the end of the bill was removed in the final version, which may impact how quickly the bill takes effect and its legislative priority.

TECHNICAL

Formatting and page numbering were standardized between the Engrossed and Enrolled versions, with the final version using cleaner formatting without embedded page references in the text.

The bill header was updated from 'ENGROSSED SENATE' to 'ENROLLED SENATE' to reflect the final version status after passage by both legislative chambers.

A new 'SUBJECT' line was added to the final version for better indexing and reference purposes.

Public utilities; cost of transmission upgrades; modifying application process for construction of certain facilities; establishing cost recovery provisions.

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