95th Arkansas General Assembly: House Bill 1073 Pre-Filed Creating an Advanced Energy Jobs Task Force

The 95th Arkansas General Assembly will convene on January 13th.

Bill filing began on November 15th.

Representative Ennett of District 80 in Little Rock introduced House Bill 1073.

The Bill proposes creation of the following:

…Advanced Energy Jobs Task Force (“Task Force”).

HB1073 contains a number of legislative findings, such as:

• Manufacturing, installation, and operation of advanced energy systems is a growth industry and should be encouraged.
• The composition and structure of the nation’s energy system is transitioning to a system with near zero (0) emissions.
• Planning for the creation of advanced energy jobs requires input from all stakeholders.
• To ensure Arkansas can fully capitalize on the many employment opportunities in this growing industry, the creation of an advanced energy jobs task force can add significant value to the state's economic development efforts.

Definitions are provided for the following terms:

• Advanced electricity resource.
• Advanced electricity systems.
• Direct emissions.
• Greenhouse gas.
• Indirect emissions.
• Near zero (0) emissions.

The Task Force membership is specified by the Bill and includes a number or legislators along with the following:

• The Chair of the Arkansas Public Service Commission or his or her designee.
• The Secretary of the Department of Energy and Environment or his or her designee.
• The Executive Director of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association or his or her designee.

The Bureau of Legislative Research is required to provide staff for the Task Force.

HB1073 identifies subjects to be studied and to file with the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a final written report of its activities, findings, and recommendations, including recommendations for proposed legislation on or before December 31, 2026.

A copy of HB1073 can be downloaded here.