House Study Bill 641 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE BILL BY CHAIRPERSON COWNIE) A BILL FOR An Act relating to information required for inclusion in 1 petitions for an electric transmission line franchise or an 2 extension of franchise, and including effective date and 3 retroactive applicability provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5816YC (1) 85 rn/nh
H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 478.3, subsection 2, Code 2014, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0b. Petitions for transmission lines capable 3 of operating at more than one hundred kilovolts direct current 4 and either extending a distance of not less than one mile or 5 extending across state boundaries shall also demonstrate that 6 prior to filing the petition the proposed construction has 7 been examined, accepted, and identified in appendix A of the 8 most recent annual midcontinent independent system operator 9 transmission expansion plan as approved by the midcontinent 10 independent system operator board of directors, or approved 11 as part of the expansion plan of any successor regional 12 transmission organization representing the area in which the 13 proposed lines will be constructed. Notwithstanding paragraph 14 “b” , this requirement shall not be subject to waiver by the 15 utilities board. 16 Sec. 2. Section 478.13, Code 2014, is amended by adding the 17 following new subsection: 18 NEW SUBSECTION . 6. If an extension is sought for 19 transmission lines capable of operating at more than one 20 hundred kilovolts direct current and either extending a 21 distance of not less than one mile or extending across state 22 boundaries, the application shall be subject to the requirement 23 in section 478.3, subsection 2, paragraph “0b” . 24 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate 25 importance, takes effect upon enactment. 26 Sec. 4. RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY. This Act applies 27 retroactively to January 1, 2014, for petitions for franchise 28 or extension of franchise filed on or after that date. 29 EXPLANATION 30 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 31 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 32 This bill relates to information required for inclusion in 33 petitions for an electric transmission line franchise and for 34 extensions of existing franchises. 35 -1- LSB 5816YC (1) 85 rn/nh 1/ 2
H.F. _____ The bill provides that in the case of petitions for 1 transmission lines capable of operating at more than 100 2 kilovolts direct current and either extending a distance of not 3 less than one mile or extending across state boundaries, the 4 petition shall demonstrate that prior to filing the petition 5 the proposed construction has been examined, accepted, and 6 identified in appendix A of the most recent annual midcontinent 7 independent system operator transmission expansion plan as 8 approved by the midcontinent independent system operator board 9 of directors, or approved as part of the expansion plan of 10 any successor regional transmission organization representing 11 the area in which the proposed line will be constructed. 12 This requirement shall not be subject to waiver by the Iowa 13 utilities board. The bill makes these provisions applicable to 14 the filing of an application for an extension of an existing 15 franchise. 16 The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies 17 retroactively to January 1, 2014, for petitions for franchise 18 or extension of franchise filed on or after that date. 19 -2- LSB 5816YC (1) 85 rn/nh 2/ 2