HSB 737 (LSB 5432YC (4) 91)

HOUSE FILE _____ 

BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE BILL BY CHAIRPERSON YOUNG)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to emergency planning and coordination for electric transmission line owners, and providing penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  478.34  Electric transmission emergency planning and coordination.
   1.  For purposes of this section:
   a.  “Electric transmission line” means a high-voltage electric transmission line with a capacity of two hundred kilovolts or more that has been approved for construction on or after July 1, 2022, for construction in a federally registered planning authority transmission plan with costs allocated regionally.
   b.  “Electric transmission line owner” means an individual or entity that owns and maintains an electric transmission line.
   c.  “Proclaimed disaster emergency” means a state of disaster emergency proclaimed by the governor pursuant to section 29C.6.
   2.  a.  An electric transmission line owner or electric utility shall independently develop an emergency response plan and submit the plan to the commission. The plan shall contain at least all of the following information:
   (1)  The name, title, and twenty-four-hour contact information of at least two designated individuals with the authority to coordinate and direct the electric transmission line owner’s emergency response and restoration efforts. Each electric transmission line owner shall notify the commission of any change to this contact information within twenty-four hours of the change occurring.
   (2)  Procedures for notifying state and local emergency management agencies and neighboring utilities during a service interruption.
   (3)  Strategies for the staging and mobilization of personnel, equipment, and materials for expeditious restoration.
   (4)  A summary of mutual aid arrangements with other entities for supplemental repair crews and equipment.
   (5)  A methodology for prioritizing the restoration of service to essential facilities, including hospitals, water treatment plants, and public safety communications.
   b.  An electric transmission line owner or electric utility shall submit an initial emergency response plan to the commission by December 31, 2026. Updated plans shall be submitted annually thereafter, or within thirty days of a material change, in the form and manner prescribed by the commission.
   c.  An emergency response plan or information submitted pursuant to this section shall be considered a confidential record and shall be kept confidential, as provided in section 22.7, subsection 50. The records shall not be subject to disclosure, except as necessary for the coordination of emergency response and restoration efforts between authorized state and utility personnel.
   3.  a.  An electric transmission line owner or electric utility shall notify the commission in the form and manner prescribed by the commission when it is projected that an outage may result in a loss of service for more than six hours, provided the outage meets the criteria for a significant interruption, as defined by commission rule. Notification shall be made at the earliest possible time after the determination and shall include all of the following:
   (1)  The general nature and cause of the interruption.
   (2)  The geographic area affected.
   (3)  A preliminary assessment of the extent of damage.
   (4)  The estimated time for restoration.
   b.  The notice required under paragraph “a” shall be supplemented as more complete or accurate information becomes available, including updates to the estimated restoration time.
   4.  In the event of an actual or imminent proclaimed disaster emergency, the electric transmission line owners shall coordinate operational responses with each other and with electric utilities, as necessary, for repair and restoration to occur in an expeditious and orderly manner, and shall provide the commission and the department of homeland security and emergency management with information as requested to facilitate state-level emergency response decision making and assistance.
   5.  An electric transmission line owner that violates any provision of this section or any rule adopted pursuant to this section is subject to a civil penalty, which may be levied by the commission, of not more than one hundred dollars per violation or one thousand dollars per day of a continuing violation, whichever is greater.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to emergency planning and coordination for electric transmission line owners.
   The bill requires each electric transmission line owner or electric utility to independently develop an emergency response plan and submit the plan to the Iowa utilities commission (commission). The plan must include two designated emergency contacts with 24-hour contact information, procedures for notifying state and local emergency management agencies and neighboring utilities during service interruptions, strategies for staging and mobilization, a summary of mutual aid arrangements, and a methodology for prioritizing restoration of service to essential facilities. An initial plan must be submitted by December 31, 2026, and updated plans must be submitted annually thereafter or within 30 days of a material change.
   The bill provides that emergency response plans and related information submitted to the commission are confidential records and are not subject to disclosure, except as necessary to coordinate emergency response and restoration efforts among authorized state and utility personnel.
   The bill requires an electric transmission line owner or electric utility to notify the commission when it is projected that an outage meeting certain criteria will result in a loss of service for more than six hours. The notice must be made as early as possible and must include the general nature and cause of the interruption, the geographic area affected, a preliminary assessment of the damage, and an estimated time for restoration, with updates provided as more accurate information becomes available.
   The bill further requires, in the event of an actual or imminent proclaimed disaster emergency, electric transmission line owners to coordinate operational responses with one another and with electric utilities to ensure expeditious and orderly repair and restoration, and provide information to the commission and the department of homeland security and emergency management as requested to support state-level emergency response.
   Finally, the bill authorizes the commission to levy a civil penalty against an electric transmission line owner that violates the bill or rules adopted under it, in an amount of not more than $100 per violation or $1,000 per day for a continuing violation, whichever is greater.