SB 123 Summary

• Allows electric and telephone cooperatives to be organized for furnishing electric, telephone, or related telecommunications services in Alaska.

• Establishes electric reliability organizations (EROs) that must be certificated by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska to oversee interconnected electric energy transmission networks and develop reliability standards.

• Requires electric utilities operating in interconnected transmission networks to participate in an ERO and comply with approved reliability standards, with the commission able to enforce standards and impose penalties for violations.

• Mandates integrated resource planning by EROs to evaluate cost-effective methods for meeting customer service requirements, including generation, transmission, battery storage, and conservation measures.

• Requires large energy facilities (generating plants 15,000+ kilowatts, high-voltage transmission lines over 10 miles, and energy storage devices 15,000+ kilowatts) to obtain commission preapproval before construction unless included in an approved integrated resource plan.