Every week, Stateside Associates will feature energy-related legislative, regulatory, and federal programs impacting state and local public policies and proceedings, including upcoming Groups events, activities, and conversations in This Week in Energy.
For more information on our Energy Practice, please contact Taylor Beis.
Generation
LEGISLATIVE
New Hampshire’s HB 1775, introduced on January 7, allows electric utilities to invest in and own natural gas or nuclear generation units up to 5 MW. The bill limits total capacity for these resources to 10% of a utility's peak load and adds hydrogen and battery storage to the state's public interest priorities. The measure was amended and passed the Senate on May 14. The House did not initially concur with the Senate amendments and a Conference Committee was held on May 26.
Vermont’s HB 710, introduced on January 16, redefines an electricity-generating plant to include multiple facilities on the same land that use the same technology, regardless of construction date. The measure passed the House in February and passed the Senate with amendments on May 26. The House did not concur with Senate Amendments on May 28, and a Conference Committee was established.
Affordability
LEGISLATIVE
Michigan’s HB 5879, introduced on April 22, requires utilities to report their personal property tax exemption savings to the Public Service Commission within 60 days to trigger residential rate reductions. The bill, which does not apply to municipal utilities, prohibits utilities from seeking rate increases for two years. The measure passed the House on May 20.
Large Load and Data Centers
LEGISLATIVE
North Carolina’s SB 730, was originally introduced on March 25, 2025, to expand renewable definitions for nuclear generation and large-scale hydropower. The bill was heavily overhauled during a May 20 House Energy Committee hearing. Re-titled the Ratepayer Protection Act, the measure now imposes strict requirements on data centers, including local development approval, infrastructure risk-sharing, closed-loop cooling mandates on 100+ MW facilities, and prohibitions on certain foreign ownership and local government incentives. The bill also creates an express review process for energy projects and halts the retirement of baseline power plants until new nuclear permits are secured.
Vermont’s HB 727, introduced on January 21, creates a regulatory framework for large data centers to protect ratepayers and the environment. It requires a 10-year Public Utility Commission-approved equity contract with demand-side controls, limits combustion generation for emergencies, and implements strict water-cooling and PFAS monitoring rules. The measure passed the Senate and House on May 22 and awaits Governor Scott’s signature.
Electricity and Market Issues
LEGISLATIVE
SB 913, in California, was introduced on January 27 and requires the Public Utilities Commission to enhance pathways for aggregated distributed energy resources to qualify as resource adequacy capacity by 2027. It mandates the inclusion of these resources in procurement filings. The measure passed the Senate on May 27 and awaits a vote in the Assembly.
New York’s SB 7898, introduced on May 13, 2025, requires construction contracts involving the Empire State Development Corporation and valued at over 5 million dollars to include renewable energy generation or qualified energy storage systems. The measure held a hearing in the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee on May 20.
SB 106, in Ohio, was introduced on February 18, 2025, and labels retail generation, aggregation, power marketing, brokerage services, and electric vehicle charging stations as competitive retail electric services that consumers may obtain from any supplier. The measure passed the House on May 20 and awaits concurrence in the Senate.
Permitting and Siting
LEGISLATIVE
AB 2493, introduced on February 20 in California, requires large electrical corporations to initiate permitting for approved transmission or generation interconnection projects within one year of plan adoption or agreement execution. The bill authorizes deadline extensions for good cause, mandates commission enforcement for noncompliance, and requires utilities to hire an independent auditor to review project compliance. The measure passed the Assembly on May 26 and awaits Senate Committee referral.
GROUPS EVENTS
There are no upcoming energy-related Groups events.
For more information on upcoming events, contact Taylor Beis.
