The Utah House Public Utilities and Energy Standing Committee voted unanimously to give HCR009, a house concurrent resolution to create an energy compact with Idaho and Wyoming, a favorable recommendation to the full House.

Representative Moss, sponsor of the resolution, told the committee the compact "creates a framework for us to be able to start working more directly together" with neighboring states on energy development and coordination. She said lawmakers in Idaho and Wyoming "have all been very excited" and that similar legislation or companion resolutions will be introduced in those states; she also said, "Senator Colmore is gonna be the the senate sponsor."

The resolution was moved for a favorable recommendation by Representative Albrecht. No public comment was offered. Representative Watkins asked that the resolution be placed on the consent calendar; the committee approved that motion without objection and the chair noted the resolution will be placed on the consent calendar pending clerical confirmation of whether it is binding.

Committee discussion was brief and uniformly supportive. Representative Albrecht described the compact as an opportunity to model a cooperative regional arrangement for power delivery and reliability. Representative Moss waived summation and the chair called the final vote; the motion passed with the chair ruling it unanimous.

The measure is a concurrent resolution requesting state-level cooperation and does not itself create binding law or an interstate compact without subsequent steps in each legislature or formal compact processes. The committee did not discuss specific budgetary commitments in committee and the measure carried no fiscal note attached to the committee action.

Votes at a glance: HCR009 — Motion to pass out favorably approved unanimously; motion to place on the consent calendar approved without objection.

The committee moved on to other business after closing the record on HCR009.