FSEC delays vote on delegation-of-authority update; staff to post tracked edits and return in July

FSEC staff briefed the council on planned updates to Policy 16-1, which delegates certain facility-plan approval authorities to agency staff, and the council agreed to delay any formal action until the July meeting to allow additional public review and legal review of tracked edits.

"The policy references a manager position that no longer exists and needs updating," said Sonia Bumpus, FSEC executive director. She said the updates are largely housekeeping to reflect the agency's current organization and to clarify the range of facility plans staff may approve for newer technology types and nontraditional facilities.

Staff also said they received public comments expressing concern about possible substantive changes. To provide transparency, staff will post the draft with tracked changes and a response-to-comments summary and will request input from the agency's attorney before bringing the item back to council. "We plan to post the underlying tracked version of the revisions and take the policy up at the July meeting," Bumpus said.

Why it matters

The delegation policy establishes which plan approvals and ministerial actions can be completed under director or staff authority and which decisions must be considered by the full council. As the FSEC portfolio expands into new facility types (for example, hydrogen and clean-energy manufacturing), staff said clarifying plan categories and delegation limits helps ensure consistent review and public notice.

Next steps

Staff will post the tracked edits and a response-to-comments summary, consult with the agency attorney about substantive concerns, and return the item for council consideration at the July meeting. Council members praised the decision to extend the review period.