Latest news with #GeneratingArkansasJobsActof2025
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Four takeaways from the 10th week of the 95th Arkansas General Assembly
Video: Arkansas prison funding bill back to Senate after amendment fails in subcommittee LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas legislature had a busy week as it worked to pass several impactful bills. Bills covered a range of issues, but some of the bigger ones were: ELECTRIC UTILITIES Without fanfare, a bill signed into law this week changes the relationship between the Public Service Commission and the electric utilities it regulates and, ultimately, outcomes for ratepayers. Senate Bill 307 created the Generating Arkansas Jobs Act of 2025 by becoming Act 373. For ratepayers, rates will increase incrementally as power plant construction projects are undertaken, as opposed to rates going up a lot in a short period after a power plant is completed. Arkansas legislators vote for ivermectin over-the-counter sales, heads to governor's desk The bill's sponsor, Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy), said it was motivated by Arkansas losing two of its five coal-fired power plants in 2030 against an ever-rising demand for electrical power. ARKANSAS ACCESS Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law this week the higher-education-changing Arkansas ACCESS Act. The legislation is the higher education version of the Arkansas LEARNS Act, which was passed in 2023 to change K-12 education. Bill to bring online gaming to Arkansas filed in legislature The legislation includes provisions for accelerated learning in every public high school, including technical training, where students can access college-level coursework. ACCESS stands for acceleration, common sense, cost, eligibility, scholarship and standardization. PRISON FUNDING After an at-times full-throated debate in the Joint Budget Committee, the bill to finance the remainder of a proposed $825 million prison in Franklin County received a do-pass vote and is scheduled to return to the Senate floor on Thursday afternoon. Legislators speaking against the bill were concerned with what they saw as a lack of planning and the possible cost of resources not included in the bill, like wastewater treatment and road improvements. Arkansas constituents voice concerns at town hall meeting for 2nd Congressional district If the bill receives a favorable vote in the Senate, it will move to the House for further debate. 89 BILLS This week, the governor signed 89 bills into law in two separate signing sessions. Legislation ranged from routine allocation acts to acts clarifying abortion laws, enhancing human trafficking penalties and for dealing fentanyl, creating sports raffles, and protecting property owners when dirt bikes are ridden. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas lawmakers approve legislation aimed at mitigating energy bill spikes
Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, presents Senate Bill 307 to the Arkansas Senate on March 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) The Arkansas House signed off on legislation Tuesday that supporters said will mitigate expected electricity rate increases by altering the current process for constructing power plants. Senate Bill 307 will allow utility companies to begin recovering the costs of building a new generating plant during the construction phase instead of having to wait until the end of the project to do so, which will result in lower costs for customers over the long term, bill sponsor and Searcy Republican Rep. Les Eaves said. With two coal-fired plants set to go offline in the next few years, Eaves said Arkansas will need to generate or purchase energy to keep up with current demand. Ratepayers' bills will go up regardless, Eaves said, but the process outlined in the bill could ease a sharp spike in prices and will provide the Arkansas Public Service Commission more oversight of the projects. Additionally, the Generating Arkansas Jobs Act of 2025, could help the state attract economic development projects like data centers, which could lead to more jobs, Eaves said. Failing to approve SB 307 would result in those companies moving on to other states, he said. 'And those other states will benefit from the economic development projects and those jobs that come with it,' Eaves said. 'There's also the very real possibility that one or more of these data centers will invest hundreds of millions of dollars here in new power generation and this will result again in overall lower power costs to our ratepayers.' Stalled energy bill advances out of Arkansas Senate In a House committee meeting Monday, Eaves said the bill would attract more than data centers but other big users of electricity, such as aerospace manufacturers and lithium processors. Allison Thompson, president and CEO of the Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County, spoke in favor of the bill in Monday's hearing, saying one of the first questions she's asked by new project proponents is whether there is reliable and abundant available energy. Jefferson County is home to the White Bluff Power Plant that's scheduled for closure. Speaking in favor of the legislation from the House floor Tuesday, Rep. Stephen Meeks, R-Greenbrier, said he really liked the forward-thinking nature of the bill. 'I support the bill, that we're trying to ramp electric bills and not have those sharp cliffs, that we're building base generation that we need for a reliable grid here in the state of Arkansas, and this bill is always looking to the future at new technologies and how we can implement them to help make sure we have a reliable grid,' Meeks said. No one spoke against the bill, which the Arkansas House approved by a vote of 77-13. Nine members voted present. SB 307 passed in the Senate last week by a vote of 23-9. The bill now awaits the governor's signature. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legislative committee advances energy bill to Arkansas House
Rep. Les Eaves, R-Searcy, presents SB 307 to a House committee on March 17, 2025. (Screenshot from livestream) A House panel on Monday approved a bill that will change the process for constructing power plants in an effort to mitigate expected rate increases for Arkansans. Searcy Republican Rep. Lance Eaves told the House Committee on Insurance and Commerce utility rates are going up with or without Senate Bill 307 because Arkansas will need to generate or buy more power to provide the energy needed 'to maintain the status quo' when coal plants in Independence and Jefferson counties go offline in a few years. 'I don't want my bill to go up, I don't know that any of us want our bills to go up,' Eaves said. 'But the fact is they're going up whether we run this bill or not because we have to produce power to replace what we're losing and we have to produce more power to try to attract those businesses here that are going to supply jobs.' The process outlined in the Generating Arkansas Jobs Act of 2025 will be cheaper in the long-term, Eaves said, because it will allow utilities to begin recouping their costs during construction instead of after a power plant is built, as is the case now. The 63-page bill would also give the Arkansas Public Service Commission more oversight of such projects by requiring reviews throughout construction, he said. Stalled energy bill advances out of Arkansas Senate Committee members shared concerns about shifting costs onto ratepayers and exactly how much constituents' energy bills would increase. Based on estimates, Eaves said the average utility customer will see a $5 increase on their monthly bill during the first year. He also said that if a company comes to Arkansas and uses 90% of the power generated by a new plant, that company would pay for what they use — the cost would not be shifted onto other ratepayers. Attracting new industry to the state is another goal of SB 307. Supporters of the bill have said Arkansas is losing out to its neighbors in attracting large data centers, which can bring more jobs to the state, but Eaves said it's about more than data centers. 'The number one export in Arkansas is aerospace-related parts and components, we have a lithium play that's getting ready to happen in south Arkansas, we are likely very possibly going to be the steel capital of the world,' Eaves said. 'All of those use energy, and we don't have enough.' Allison Thompson, president and CEO of the Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County, echoed those sentiments in speaking in favor of the bill. Jefferson County is home to the White Bluff Power Plant that's scheduled for closure. As an economic developer, Thompson said she works with new projects coming to the state and one of the first questions she's asked is about power. 'Is it reliable, is it redundant, is there enough of it, and is it available,' she said. 'And when those projects come in, they're not coming in for down the road, they're coming in right now. They're looking right now. Those businesses are making decisions about today.' Some members of the public who spoke in opposition to the bill voiced concerns about how the rate hikes will impact low-income Arkansans. Others had recommendations for amending specific provisions within the bill. Southern Renewable Energy Association Executive Director Simon Mahan, for example, said it was 'problematic' that SB 307 explicitly excludes Arkansas-based wind energy from eligibility for cost recovery under the bill's proposed rider system. 'Generally wind energy resources are some of the lowest cost resources,' Mahan said. 'Arkansas, we do believe needs more power, and we shouldn't be restricting the types of power that we can develop sooner rather than later.' A 135-megawatt project that's under construction in Cross County is expected to become the state's first operational wind farm this summer. Mahan recommended lawmakers amend the bill to remove this restriction to allow Arkansas-based wind energy to compete 'on an equal footing' with other energy resources, including out-of-state wind, which he said is eligible under the current legislation. The House committee approved SB 307 on a unanimous voice vote without making amendments. The bill will next be considered by the Arkansas House. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Four takeaways from the eighth week of the 95th General Assembly
Video: Arkansas bill aims to provide income tax credit for family caregivers LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The work of Arkansas continues for the 95th General Assembly. On week eight, legislators wrestled with the future of electrical utilities—and cost to consumers—in Arkansas. They also acted on bills regarding sports raffles, family caregivers and ivermectin. UTILITIES Senate Bill 307, otherwise the Generating Arkansas Jobs Act of 2025 will make sweeping changes to how electric utilities and consumers interact if it becomes law. After making it out of committee, it failed its final vote on the Senate floor on Wednesday but remained in debate after lead sponsor Sen. Jonathan Dismang filed a procedure request expunging the vote. Live Blog: Arkansas legislature update for Friday On Thursday, a senator who voted against the bill, Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R-Texarkana) was able to attach an amendment to the bill asking for the rate-setting Public Service Commission—which normally does not engage with legislation—to review the bill and have the results of its review ready by 9 a.m. Monday. After the amendment had passed, Hickey suggested that the bill was so big and important that a Committee of the Whole should hold its future hearing, allowing House members and outside witnesses to participate in the debate. SPORTS RAFFLES The Arkansas Sports Raffle Act passed its House committee hearing on Wednesday and is now before the Senate. An earlier version of the bill had failed, but this version, which removes any mention of casinos and adds age verification, was accepted by committee members. The bill's primary sponsor, Rep. RJ Hawk, said the bill would allow higher education institutions to conduct raffles to fund NIL for student-athletes. Multiple Arkansas bills target motor racing regulation On Thursday, it was approved by the entire House and sent to the Senate, where it received its initial vote and was assigned to a committee. FAMILY CAREGIVERS This week, a bill was filed to provide a tax credit for family members acting as caregivers for elderly relatives. The bill is capped at $1.5 million in credits and is credited on a first-come, first-served basis. IVERMECTIN A bill introduced in the Senate in early February will allow ivermectin to be sold over-the-counter in Arkansas if it becomes law. It cleared its final Senate vote on Thursday and has been sent to the House, now before the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee. Trump signs executive order creating bitcoin reserve This bill would allow the 'for human consumption' version of ivermectin to be sold without a prescription or consultation with a doctor. Initially marketed as a veterinary treatment for deworming horses, it became a popular folk remedy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas Senate rejects legislation to increase energy production, attract industry
Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, presents Senate Bill 307 to the Arkansas Senate on March 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) A bill that would alter the process for creating new electricity-generating plants to meet the state's anticipated energy needs stalled in the Arkansas Senate Wednesday. As a result of at least two of the state's coal-fired plants going offline by the end of 2030, Sen. Jonathan Dismang, Searcy Republican and lead sponsor of Senate Bill 307, said energy rates are expected to increase because Arkansas will have to buy energy from an out-of-state utility or build new sources of energy. The goal of the 62-page bill, also known as the Generating Arkansas Jobs Act of 2025, is to mitigate those increases, Dismang said. 'This is a new path forward for us to create the energy that we have to create that will ultimately, because of that new generation that is required, be at a lesser cost of generation than it would be under the old model — the old model that does not have the roadblocks and the reviews and the approvals that this does at multiple steps in the process,' he said. Renewable energy needed for Arkansas' future, industry experts tell lawmakers Under the current model, Dismang said, interest is accrued during construction and then capitalized, creating 'a significant jump in rates' once the power plant is operational. SB 307 recommends another option that would allow utilities to begin recovering costs incrementally during construction by enabling 'a strategic investment' that he said would result in a 'lower, long-term recovery rate for consumers.' SB 307 proposes that the Arkansas Public Service Commission must approve a strategic investment within six months of application, 'ensuring that it is in the public interest,' Dismang said. The PSC then has 60 days to approve the rider rates, but can request another 30 days if additional time is needed. When construction begins and the new rate is being collected, the PSC will review that project every 12 months, Dismang said. Once completed, the PSC has a one-year audit period to make sure everything was 'done prudently so that our ratepayers are protected,' he said. In addition to saving ratepayers money, Dismang said his proposal 'provides more protection and oversight by the PSC because they're able to monitor what's happening through the entire process.' Supporters of the bill have also said it will make Arkansas more competitive in attracting to the state new employers, such as data centers that may require a lot of energy to operate, which would create more jobs. Arkansas legislative panel moves 'strategic energy infrastructure' bill forward Sen. Dave Wallace, a Leachville Republican who voted for SB 307, said he chopped cotton growing up because there were no other jobs in Arkansas, a factor that led many in his generation to leave the state. 'You grow or you die,' Wallace said. '…We have opportunity to be in the lead and to have energy and to bring companies to our state…if we have power, we're going to bring those businesses and Arkansas is going to grow.' Sen. Reginald Murdock, D-Marianna, said the entire Senate believes in the concept of the bill, but he had concerns about the process and making sure to 'protect our ratepayers, specifically the most vulnerable people in the state.' 'I think this process has taken away the ability to provide some alternatives, some Plan B's, some Plan C's, that could do a better job of protecting ratepayers if given the time to sit down and deal with this in a different way, from a time standpoint,' Murdock said. 'So I do think there are some alternatives that can be brought forward that may help us.' Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, said it was important to watch out for ratepayers from a cost and risk standpoint. While he thanked Dismang for his hard work on a complicated bill and agreed action is needed, Hickey said SB 307 is not ready as is. Hickey called for more discussion about the bill's proposal to keep Arkansas' rates at 10% below the national average, noting that by some estimates, Arkansas' current rate is 25% below that threshold. He also noted that a better definition for 'strategic investments' is needed. 'It's a whole lot easier to come down here and start throwing rocks at it than to sit and devise this type of policy, but again, I just don't think that we're ready to go forward,' Hickey said. Hickey was among 11 senators who voted against SB 307. The legislation received 17 affirmative votes, one shy of the 18 needed for a bill to pass out of the Senate. Murdock was one of four senators who did not cast a vote. Democratic Sens. Greg Leding of Fayetteville and Fredrick Love of Mabelvale, and Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, voted present. The Senate voted in favor of Dismang's motion to expunge the vote, which will allow him to bring SB 307 back to his colleagues at a later date. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
