2024 Consumer, Energy, & Utility Bill Watch List
Updated 3/20/24
Back to 2024 Indiana General Assembly
Bad Bills
HB1382: Retirement of Electric Generating Units (dead)
Authors: Rep. Cindy Ledbetter (R), Rep. Jake Teshka (R), Rep. Timothy Wesco (R)
Status: died in the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee
Position: CAC strongly opposes this bill
Description: Stated clearly, HB1382 is a coal-bailout bill modeled after a bill which became law in early 2023 in Kentucky - https://www.wkyufm.org/2023-03-05/ky-senate-votes-to-preserve-aging-coal.... The intent of HB1382 is to make it harder for utility companies to retire coal-fired power plants. The bill would require that the utilities file for approval from the IURC before being allowed to retire a coal-fired power plant and as part of that filing, there is a presumption that the coal-fired power plant should not be retired. Current law only requires the utility to receive approval for the electric generation facilities that will replace the retiring coal-fired power plant.
Good Bills
HB1163: Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity
Authors: Rep. David Hall (R), Rep. Edmond Soliday (R), Rep. Alex Zimmerman (R), Rep. Matt Pierce (D)
Sponsors: Sen. Eric Koch (R), Sen. Gary Byrne (R)
Status: signed into law by Gov. Holcomb
Position: CAC supports this bill
Votes:
- 1/16/24: The House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee passed HB1163 out of committee by a vote of 12-0.
- 1/22/24: The House passed HB1163 by a vote of 94-0.
- 2/15/24: The Senate Utilities Committee passed HB1163 by a vote of 9-0.
- 2/20/24: The Senate passed HB1163 by a vote of 48-0.
- 3/11/24: Gov. Holcomb signed HB1163 into law.
Description: This bill authorizes a rural electric membership cooperative (REMC) or a generation and transmission cooperative (Hoosier Energy and Wabash Valley Power Alliance) to construct and install any electric generation facility that has a capacity of 10MWs or less without having to file for approval at the IURC.
HB1278: IURC and Office of Energy Development Matters
Authors: Rep. Edmond Soliday (R), Rep. Chris Jeter (R), Rep. Matt Pierce (D)
Sponsors: Sen. Eric Koch (R), Sen. Spencer Deery (R)
Status: signed into law by Gov. Holcomb
Position: CAC supports this bill
Votes:
- 1/16/24: The House Financial Institutions Committee passed HB1278 by a vote of 11-0.
- 1/23/24: The House passed HB1278 by a vote of 86-8.
- 2/22/24: The Senate Utilities Committee amended HB1278 by consent, then passed it by a vote of 8-1.
- 2/29/24: The Senate passed HB1278 by a vote of 40-6.
- 3/5/24: The House concurred in Senate amendments by a vote of 84-4.
- 3/12/24: Gov. Holcomb signed HB1278 into law.
Description: Current Indiana law requires that the IURC holds a field hearing in a base rate case filed by a utility in the largest municipality in that utilities service territory. HB1278 would amend that requirement and allow the IURC to hold that hearing in the largest municipality in the utilities service territory, or the municipality which has the most customers served by that utility, or in the county with the most customers served by that utility. Additionally, HB1278 makes changes to the requirements around the Office of Energy Development certifying communities as a commercial solar or wind energy ready community.
SB5: Lead Water Line Replacement and Lead Remediation
Authors: Sen. Eric Koch (R), Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R), Sen. Andrea Hunley (R), Sen. Mike Bohacek (R), Sen. Spencer Deery (R), Sen. Dan Dernulc (R), Sen. Blake Doriot (R), Sen. Chris Garten (R), Sen. Susan Glick (R), Sen. Travis Holdman (R), Sen. Tyler Johnson (R), Sen. Eric Bassler (R), Sen. Jean Leising (R), Sen. Mark Messmer (R), Sen. Rick Niemeyer (R), Sen. Greg Walker (R), Sen. David Niezgodski (D), Sen. Kyle Walker (R), Sen. Andy Zay (R), Sen. Cyndi Carrasco (R), Sen. Justin Busch (R), Sen. Shelli Yoder (D), Sen. Scott Alexander (R), Sen. Ron Alting (R), Sen. Scott Baldwin (R), Sen. Vaneta Becker (R), Sen. Lonnie Randolph (D)
Sponsors: Rep. Edmond Soliday (R), Rep. Brad Barrett (R), Rep. Carolyn Jackson (D), Rep. David Hall (R), Rep. Alex Zimmerman (R)
Status: signed into law by Gov. Holcomb
Position: CAC strongly supports this bill
Votes:
- 1/11/24: SB5 was amended twice by consent, then passed out of the Senate Utilities Committee by a vote of 10-0.
- 1/25/24: The Senate Appropriations Committee passed SB5 by a vote of 12-0.
- 1/30/24: The Senate passed SB5 by a vote of 49-0.
- 2/13/24: The House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee passed two motions by consent, then passed SB5 by a vote of 12-0.
- 2/21/24: The House Ways and Means Committee amended SB5 by consent, then passed it by a vote of 18-0.
- 2/27/24: The House passed SB5 by a vote of 93-0.
- 2/29/24: The Senate concurred in House amendments by a vote of 45-0.
- 3/11/24: Gov. Holcomb signed SB5 into law.
Description: SB5 is part of the continued effort to remove lead from our drinking water and protect public health. The bill would allow the water utilities to replace the lead service lines at homes even when the owner of the property is non-responsive to the utility's request to enter the property. The need for the bill is centered mostly on out-of-state property owners who rent or lease homes in Indiana and simply do not respond when the utility sends notification to the owner of the home that the lead-service-line is scheduled for replacement.
SB278: Utility Disconnections and Customer Data Reports (dead)
Authors: Sen. David Vinzant (D)
Status: died in the Senate Utilities Committee
Position: CAC strongly supports this bill
Description: SB278 is a broad and strong consumer protection bill that would provide many benefits to utility consumers. The bill would (1) establish a summer disconnect moratorium for households who are qualified to receive the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) (2) prohibit utilities from disconnecting service on Fridays, Weekends, and legal holidays (3) prohibit utilities from charging interest on delinquent balances and (4) prohibit utilities from charging a deposit or any other fee as a condition of reconnecting service after a household has been disconnected. Additionally, the bill would require that the utilities report to the IURC on a quarterly basis certain information concerning consumers, like number of disconnects, number of customers in arrears, and the total amount owed by customers in arrears. This information is critical to understand the state of affairs of utility consumers and to determine the affordability of utility service in Indiana and what policies may need to put in place to ensure that all Hoosiers have uninterrupted access to utility service.
HB1193: Community Solar Facilities (dead)
Authors: Rep. Carey Hamilton (D), Rep. Sue Errington (D)
Status: died in the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee
Position: CAC strongly supports this bill
Description: Current Indiana law allows only the investor-owned electric monopolies, REMCs, and municipal utilities to own and operate community solar facilities. HB1193 will authorize independently-owned and operated community solar facilities to be built in Indiana. It would allow all consumers of investor-owned electric utilities to (1) subscribe to a certain percentage or share of those community solar facilities and (2) receive credits on their monthly electric bills proportionate to their share. The average monthly bill savings realized by consumers is 5-20%.
SB249: Major Ground Water Withdrawal Facilities (dead - companion to HB1305 below )
Authors: Sen. Spencer Deery (R), Sen. Ron Alting (R), Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R), Sen. Susan Glick (R), Sen. Blake Doriot (R), Sen. Fady Qaddoura (D)
Status: died in the Senate Utilities Committee
Position: CAC strongly supports this bill
Description: SB249 is in response to the proposed LEAP district in Lebanon and is a companion bill to HB1305. Much of the outrage regarding LEAP is centered on the proposed massive withdrawals of water from the Wabash aquifer in Tippecanoe County. There are no current laws in Indiana requiring any sort of permit(s) from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for this type of activity. Therefore, these bills would put in place a rigorous permitting process at DNR for any proposed groundwater withdrawal that (1) is at least 10 millions gallons per day and (2) will deliver at 10 millions gallon per day via pipelines to a destination located at least 20 miles from the point of withdrawal.
HB1305: Major Ground Water Withdrawal Facilities (dead - companion to SB249 above)
Authors: Rep. Sharon Negele (R), Rep. Mark Genda (R), Rep. Mike Aylesworth (R), Rep. Heath VanNatter (R)
Status: died in the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee
Position: CAC strongly supports this bill
Description: HB1305 is in response to the proposed LEAP district in Lebanon and is a companion bill to SB249. Much of the outrage regarding LEAP is centered on the proposed massive withdrawals of water from the Wabash aquifer in Tippecanoe County. There are no current laws in Indiana requiring any sort of permit(s) from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for this type of activity. Therefore, these bills would put in place a rigorous permitting process at DNR for any proposed groundwater withdrawal that (1) is at least 10 millions gallons per day and (2) will deliver at 10 millions gallon per day via pipelines to a destination located at least 20 miles from the point of withdrawal.
SB131: Carbon Sequestration (dead)
Authors: Sen. Rick Niemeyer (R)
Status: died in the Senate Utilities Committee
Position: CAC strongly supports this bill
Description: SB131 is in response to the significant amount of activity currently occurring in Indiana related to carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). The bill would require that when a company wants to transport and store CO2 in a different county from where the CO2 was captured, they must receive approval from the county where they want to store, or sequester, the CO2. This bill would not apply to the controversial Wabash Valley Resources project in West Terre Haute, but would apply to every other proposed CCS project.
HB1171: Small Loan Finance Charges (dead)
Authors: Rep. Carey Hamilton (D), Rep. Mike Andrade (D)
Status: died in the House Financial Institutions Committee
Position: CAC supports this bill
Description: Caps payday loans at 36% APR. Payday loans can currently reach 391% APR in Indiana.
HB1322: Sales Tax Exemption for Utility Service (dead)
Authors: Rep. Ryan Dvorak (D)
Status: died in the House Ways and Means Committee
Position: CAC supports this bill
Description: HB1332 would bring some relief to utility consumers by exempting the sale of electricity, natural gas, steam, and water from being subject to sales tax.
SB218: Election of Two IURC Members (dead)
Authors: Sen. J.D. Ford (D)
Status: died in the Senate Utilities Committee
Position: CAC supports this bill
Description: Currently, the IURC is comprised of five commissioners who are appointed by the Governor, and the Governor currently appoints the Chairman of the IURC. SB218 would (1) expand the number of commissioners from five to seven (2) require that the commissioners name the Chairman, instead of the Governor, (3) change the title from "Chairman" to "Chair", and (4) require that two of the commissioners are elected by the public, with the Governor continuing to appoint the other five.
SB276: Health Care Debt and Costs (dead)
Authors: Sen. Fady Qaddoura (D)
Status: died in the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee
Position: CAC supports this bill
Description: SB276 will help prevent medical debt from harming Hoosiers' financial well-being by (1) protecting Hoosiers' wages, homes, vehicles, and credit scores while they are paying off medical debt (2) setting an interest rate limit on outstanding medical debt (3) preventing collection actions while insurance determinations are being appealed, and (4) ensuring that Hoosiers who may qualify for charity care are informed of these options.
Watching
HB1122: Underground Facility Protection
HB1206: Voting by Small Water and Wastewater Utilities
HB1208: Assessment of Wind Power Devices
HB1277: State Administration of Federal BEAD Program
HB1306: Live Streaming and Archiving Meetings
SB245: Natural Gas and Electric Utility Infrastructure
SB247: Water and Wastewater Utility Infrastructure
