Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires notification from utility companies prior to the closure of an energy production plant.

Highlights:

• Defines “legacy generation resource” as an electric generating facility owned directly or indirectly by a corporation that was formed for the original purpose of providing power to the federal government (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits a public utility from authorizing to terminate a power agreement with a legacy generation resource in which they have an ownership interest unless they provide at least 3 years of advance notice of the termination plans (Sec. 1).

• Requires a public utility to provide the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with 6 months notice of their intended plans to retire, transfer, or sell a reliable capacity resource with a capacity exceeding 80 megawatts and their reasons for doing so if their plans do not align with most recent integrated resource plan provided in their final director’s report (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits a public utility from retiring, transferring, or selling a reliable capacity resource with a capacity exceeding 80 megawatts unless (Sec. 1):

• They first notify the FERC of their intentions; and

• Hold a public hearing within 120 days of their intentions being made public.

• Requires the commission for higher education, in conjunction with the department of workforce development, to give priority to an applicant who is a dislocated coal mine employee when awarding high value workforce ready credit-bearing grants (Sec. 2).

• Defines “dislocated coal mine employee” as an individual who has been laid off or terminated as a commercial coal mine in Indiana as a result of the permanent closure of the coal mine and is unlikely to be reemployed (Sec. 2).

• Specifies that an emergency is declared for this act (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text