Introduced

SB 568 - This act creates provisions relating to the construction of electric transmission facilities.

This act shall apply when an electrical corporation seeks approval from the Public Service Commission for the construction of electric transmission facilities approved by a regional transmission operator, as defined in the act. Such electric transmission facilities shall be designed pursuant to the electric industry standards as described in the act, unless the Commission determines that such design is inconsistent with the electric industry standards and certain other standards, as described in the act.

Under the act, the only electrical corporations that may file an application with the Commission for approval to construct electric transmission facilities are electrical corporations that own in-service electric transmission facilities in this state under the functional control of a regional transmission operator and to which such electric transmission facilities will connect once construction is completed. If an electrical corporation will not go forward with the construction of such electric transmission facilities after receiving an approval for such construction from the Commission, the electrical corporation shall give notice to the Commission within ninety days following approval of such construction that it will not construct such electric transmission facilities. Upon receiving such notice, the Commission may grant approval for such construction to another electrical corporation. If such notice indicates that an electrical corporation will assign all or a portion of the construction of such facilities to another electrical corporation, the Commission may grant approval of such construction to the assignee electrical corporation provided that the assignee corporation's construction of such facilities will be subject to this act.

This act shall not limit the right of any rural electric cooperative, any municipal utility, or a joint electric utility commission to construct, own, and maintain any electric transmission facilities that are not under the control of a regional transmission operator.

Finally, this act shall not limit the right of any electrical corporation to seek approval to construct, operate, and maintain electric transmission facilities in this state that will not initially connect to electric transmission facilities in this state that are under the functional control of a regional transmission operator.

This act is similar to HCS/HB 992 (2023).

JULIA SHEVELEVA


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