[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6321849,"mediaKeyId","2348705-2af0842b1311cc7b20dc2df44b35ad94","parentId",2348705,"title","Energy Committee advances battery, setback and energy‑policy bills; one bill repeals little‑used state program","audioSeconds",342,"startMs",122000,"endMs",464000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2348705-2af0842b1311cc7b20dc2df44b35ad94&start=122&end=464","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2348705-2af0842b1311cc7b20dc2df44b35ad94/thumbnail_122000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6321849/Oklahoma/Energy-Committee-advances-battery-setback-and-energypolicy-bills-one-bill-repeals-littleused-state-program","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6321849-6d24c3b44ce67426b0e5e134db2803cf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770948472&Signature=kYoDIxsumtkiw8c4NkYkvy~yxWQNsCHY2RYzxIz~ZoLjaX94aO6oEe~Ms7I2vLiidrI6oZXdF6g54ifcc9rkWmsi7CwaY-BMJRAQ6lvRKxHFkoyb2iy4TFkK0gxHH2hWR1zHcJ-Tp7FFYftObm8CoWLP2QoBzPXM5IQa6X5AEKU1Di6YZNLnUMbB4dUvs89xXECy5UCMjtOMiAEsG-QK6DLWugaOzuuD0RQWwepUS3BU5FymqmIr48vics7DGdeBoexHs5caGKor1KjrijOudUOZWQ0ZOdinZMPXlTuVuO-f~M4M5vpnC~MxDrFebDWwEhn73dCUwPe75i1cQNwYgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","OK State Legislature","date","2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","article","The House Energy Committee moved multiple energy bills forward and adopted technical changes on Wednesday. The committee reported several measures to oversight or declared them to pass after voice votes or roll calls; one bill was laid over.

Battery stewardship: House Bill 19 07, the Battery Stewardship Act, was explained to the committee as a producer‑responsibility proposal to shift end‑of‑life management for portable batteries from consumers and municipalities to producers. The sponsor said the bill aims to increase battery collection, reduce landfill fires caused by improperly disposed batteries and reclaim metals used by Oklahoma businesses. The committee adopted an amendment addressing industry concerns and then reported the bill as passing with a committee vote of 8 aye and 1 nay. The chair said, “Representative, with a vote of 8 I and 1 nay, we will declare your bill to pass.”

Setbacks for generation and storage: House Bill 21 56 (setbacks for solar generation and industrial battery storage) was considered with an adopted amendment that changed setbacks to residential dwellings from 500 (feet) back to 3 (hundreds? — the amendment text as read referenced changing the setback figure). After the amendment was adopted without objection, the committee reported the bill to pass by voice vote, 10 aye and 0 nay.

State program repeal: House Bill 20 37, a measure to repeal the Oklahoma County portion of the Energy Savings Act (Title 62), was presented as removing a provision the sponsor said is not widely used because municipalities rely on other Title 62 programs. The committee reported the bill as due pass after a recorded vote of 9 aye and 2 nay.

Energy Discrimination Act change: House Bill 20 43, a bill seeking to exclude municipalities and counties from the Energy Discrimination Act (replacing the phrase “governmental entity” with “state agency” in the relevant text), was reported to have passed the committee with a vote of 11 aye and 0 nay. The sponsor said the measure would allow local governments to finance projects without certain restrictions in that statute.

Laid over: The committee laid over House Bill 21 79 for future consideration.

Votes at a glance

- HB 19 07 (Battery Stewardship Act): Reported to pass, committee vote 8 aye, 1 nay. Action: pass to oversight committee.
- HB 21 56 (Setbacks for solar and industrial battery storage): Reported to pass, committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay. Action: pass to oversight committee.
- HB 20 37 (repeal — Oklahoma County portion of Energy Savings Act, Title 62): Reported as due pass, committee vote 9 aye, 2 nay. Action: pass to oversight committee.
- HB 20 43 (exclude municipalities and counties from Energy Discrimination Act): Reported to pass, committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay. Action: pass to oversight committee.

The committee chair instructed members who had paperwork to file to submit it to oversight committees; the meeting then adjourned.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Energy Feb 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The House Energy Committee advanced four energy bills and laid over one, moving measures on battery stewardship, generation and storage setbacks and repeal of a county provision of the Energy Savings Act to oversight.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature OK, Oklahoma","taxId",78380,"location","Oklahoma","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6321854,"House committee defeats bill that would impose half‑mile wind setbacks in eastern Oklahoma",2750,774000,3524000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2348705-2af0842b1311cc7b20dc2df44b35ad94&start=774&end=3524","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2348705-2af0842b1311cc7b20dc2df44b35ad94/thumbnail_774000.jpg","/articles/6321854/Oklahoma/House-committee-defeats-bill-that-would-impose-halfmile-wind-setbacks-in-eastern-Oklahoma","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6321854-406e71a860d4b065113c1d1689eb8a72/orig.mp4?Expires=1770948472&Signature=f-83pLdy5-~uPCiAud1d70YwFFR1Fp7bMfhRgpnc-MempTgO6obb-OE~5GTVtoVTWw5J466EyPx7hEBEnjQk3LQEedkoAIT3YsiWRoNe~xdx5J7XYAdg73tlb1zYebiAbcpq9riJQr0GwCaOCbQtuDIz9SAOosf7TkBlaar77p0yMJe2WpHJeF1wFYmvnpKi6nYByaKy~NuKUYYGdpoL5hEqxWzMGDdjuuqkpopB~nUdaUgKsv4fyb0vhUbur3PvxogwHLTPYbS904yZ1upsE0eZ~EMFd~T0mB~tqDvHmiRD33-2LZrHVhtvpecqVZEVK6aDvuuQa3HbfhHa1K6zQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Turner’s proposal to create broad setbacks for industrial wind projects in parts of eastern Oklahoma failed in the House Energy Committee on a 5‑7 vote. The bill, House Bill 19 89, would have imposed a half‑nautical‑mile setback in counties with average wind speeds below 9.5 miles per hour (per the Oklahoma Climatological Survey) and a population density greater than 8.5 persons per square mile (per the 2020 U.S. Census). The committee declared the bill failed after debate and recorded a final tally of 5 aye and 7 nay.

Supporters said the bill would protect property rights, local quality of life and tourism‑dependent areas. Representative Turner said, “I believe that what we're doing is we're protecting landowner's rights,” and argued the measure would preserve economic and recreational assets around lakes such as Grand Lake and Tenkiller. The bill included an opt‑in mechanism allowing counties to hold a public vote to permit industrial wind in their jurisdiction and directed the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to maintain a list of counties and setback status.

Opponents warned the measure would undercut investment and jobs in counties already benefiting from wind projects and could raise energy prices. Representative Waldron questioned how the bill would treat projects already under contract, asking, “So is there when a contract is signed, when work has begun or … when there was a twinkle in my father's eye about the project?” Multiple members pressed the sponsor to define when a project is considered to have “begun” so that companies and landowners with existing investments would be protected.

Amendments and clarifications were adopted during committee. A committee amendment proposed by Representative Roberts amended the text by inserting the word “industrial” before references to production, and deleted the numerical nameplate‑capacity phrase “with a nameplate capacity of at least 100 megawatts.” Another adopted change clarified that adjacent property owners could waive setback restrictions and that counties meeting the bill’s criteria could opt in by vote. The sponsor said he was willing to work with members to draft additional language to explicitly protect currently built projects and to refine the definition of when a project is considered begun.

Committee members also debated technical details cited by the sponsor, including the wind‑speed threshold and how the proposed setback differs by unit of measure (the sponsor and questioners discussed nautical miles versus land miles). The sponsor stated his estimate that 48 counties on the eastern side of the state would meet the bill's criteria and thus be affected. Members asked for a definition of conception and for language to ensure ongoing projects or projects that have completed studies and permitting would not be retroactively stopped.

After approximately one hour of debate and multiple offers to craft follow‑up amendments in the oversight committee, the committee chair directed staff to open the vote. The committee recorded the final result as 5 aye and 7 nay; the chair declared HB 19 89 failed.

The bill’s defeat leaves intact existing state law and local regulatory regimes; the sponsor said he would continue negotiating language to protect investments and to clarify the scope of the measure before any future consideration.","The House Energy Committee voted 5‑7 to reject House Bill 19 89, a Turner bill that would have established a half‑nautical‑mile setback for industrial wind projects in counties meeting wind‑speed and population criteria; supporters said it protects property and tourism, opponents warned of economic harm and uncertainty for existing projects.","actionData","errors"]

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Energy Committee advances battery, setback and energy‑policy bills; one bill repeals little‑used state program

House committee defeats bill that would impose half‑mile wind setbacks in eastern Oklahoma