HB 1292 Summary

• Requires electric energy conversion facility owners to file biennial status reports with the Public Utilities Commission containing expected remaining useful life, demand forecasts, and customer information.

• Mandates owners provide three years' notice before retirement and prohibits retirement unless the commission determines the owner made good faith efforts to sell the facility and did not refuse reasonable offers.

• Restricts non-cooperative electric utilities from recovering capital costs of replacement generation facilities in rates unless retirement-related sale requirements are met.

• Requires owners to submit site reclamation plans at least three years before retirement and file reclamation bonds (minimum $100,000 initially, increasable up to $100,000 annually) ten years before expected retirement.

• Exempts purchasers of retiring facilities from certain regulations if they purchase under commission-approved agreements and sell electricity at avoided cost rates approved by the commission.