House Bill 2457 would allow utilities to build co-located plants after 30 days' notice and a public-comment session without seeking a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility; Sierra Club opposed the bill for curtailing public review, while Americans for Prosperity supported it as necessary to speed generation. Committee issued a due-pass recommendation (4 ayes, 2 nays, 1 not voting).

Rules counsel told the committee that House Bill 2912 would require electric utilities to submit integrated resource plans for Commission approval and that the change could blur the Commission’s rate-making authority; a floor amendment to clarify the public-health nexus was recommended and the committee voted to recommend the bill as constitutional and in proper form.

House Bill 2331 would require 85% of electricity sold by public service corporations to come from “reliable” sources (excluding wind and solar) by 2030. The rules attorney told the committee it may intrude on the Arizona Corporation Commission’s exclusive rate- and resource-integration authority, making the bill constitutionally doubtful, though the committee recommended it as proper form.