House File 334 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 334 BY WAGNER A BILL FOR An Act expanding the definition of alternate energy production 1 facility for purposes of compliance with electric utility 2 rate regulation requirements. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2389YH (2) 84 rn/nh
H.F. 334 Section 1. Section 476.42, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 1 2011, is amended to read as follows: 2 a. A solar, wind turbine, waste management, resource 3 recovery, refuse-derived fuel, agricultural crops or residues, 4 or woodburning facility. For purposes of this definition only, 5 “waste management” includes a facility using plasma gasification 6 to produce synthetic gas, either as a stand-alone fuel or for 7 blending with natural gas, the output of which is used to 8 generate electricity or steam. For purposes of this definition 9 only, “plasma gasification” means the thermal dissociation 10 of carbonaceous material into fragments of compounds in an 11 oxygen-starved environment. 12 EXPLANATION 13 This bill expands the definition of an “alternate energy 14 production facility” for purposes of compliance with electric 15 utility rate regulation requirements. 16 Provisions contained in Code sections 476.43 and 476.44 17 require electric utilities to either own alternate energy 18 production facilities or small hydro facilities located 19 in Iowa or enter into long-term contracts to purchase or 20 wheel electricity from such facilities, or provide for the 21 availability of supplemental or backup power to such facilities 22 on a nondiscriminatory basis and at just and reasonable rates. 23 Currently, the applicable definition of “alternate energy 24 production facility” in Code section 476.42 references 25 solar, wind turbine, waste management, resource recovery, 26 refuse-derived fuel, agricultural crops or residues, or 27 woodburning facilities. The bill specifies that for purposes 28 of this definition only, “waste management” includes a facility 29 using plasma gasification to produce synthetic gas, either 30 as a stand-alone fuel or for blending with natural gas, the 31 output of which is used to generate electricity or steam, and 32 that “plasma gasification” means the thermal dissociation 33 of carbonaceous material into fragments of compounds in an 34 oxygen-starved environment. 35 -1- LSB 2389YH (2) 84 rn/nh 1/ 1