HCSHB476--CLOSUREOFELECTRICPOWERPLANTS
SPONSOR: Pollitt
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonUtilitiesbyavoteof17to2,with1votingpresent.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
476.
BeginningJanuary1,2026,thisbillspecifiesthatpriortothe
closureofanexistingelectricgeneratingpowerplant,an
electricalcorporation,registeredanddoingbusinessinMissouri,
mustfirstcertifythatithassecuredandplacedontheelectric
gridanequalorgreateramountofreliableelectricgenerationas
specifiedinthebill.Adequatetransmissionlinesmustbein
placeandthereplacementgenerationfullyoperationalconcurrently
withtheclosureoftheexistingelectricgeneratingplant.
Ifthereplacementelectricgenerationusessomeorallofthe
interconnection facilitiesusedbytheexistinggenerationplant,
thereplacementfacilitiesmustbeoperationalwithin180daysof
theclosureoftheexistingplant.Iftheexistingplantisclosed
asaresultofanunexpectedorunplannedcauseorevent,the
electricalcorporationmustfollowtheproceduresestablishedin
thebill,includingfilinganapplicationwiththePublicService
Commissionoutliningitsplantoinstallreplacementreliable
electricgeneration. Duringanyperiodswherethereplacement
powerisnotfullyoperational,theelectricalcorporationmust
makeallreasonableeffortstocontractforadditionalfirm
generatingcapacitytomeettheplanningreservemarginrequirement
oftheregionaltransmissionoperator.
Thebillalsospecifiesthattheaverageofthesummerandwinter
accreditedcapacityofthenewgenerationmustbegreaterorequal
totheaverageofthesummerandwinteraccreditedcapacityofthe
existinggeneration,withconsiderationoftheelectrical
corporation'santicipatedlossofload.ThePublicService
Commissionmustcertifythattheserequirementsaremet.Ifthe
PublicServiceCommissionreceivesinformationthattheelectrical
corporationhasexperiencedasignificantandlong-termlossof
load,thecommissionmustdetermineifreplacementgenerationisin
thepublicinterest.
Beforetheofficialdateoftheexistingelectricgeneratingpower
plantclosure,theelectricutilitycompanymustprovide
certificationtotheCommission,theGeneralAssembly,andthe
Governorthatithasmetthenecessaryrequirements. ThisbillisthesameasHB1753(2024).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatinrecentyears,Missourihas
seenasteadyerosionofthereliabilityandstabilityofthepower
grid.Theregionaltransmissionoperatorshaveforecasteda
deficiencyinenergycapacityfortheStateinthenearfuture.
Thisbillwouldrequireinvestor-ownedutilitiestoensurethat
thereisenoughpowersupplytoprovidetheneededelectricityfor
theState.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Pollitt;
AmerenMissouri;Evergy;MissouriChamberofCommerce;andUnited
AssociationofPlumbersandPipefittersLocalUnionNo.562.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatthebillisdesigned
foragridofthepastanddoesnottakeintoaccountnew
generationtechnologiesorreductionsinenergydemandfrom
efficiency. Themanagementofthenecessarygenerationisthejob
ofthePublicServiceCommission.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereArnieDienoff;and
SierraClub.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.