Utility Facilities Act; associated facilities of an electrical transmission line. (HB1766)

Introduced By

Del. Greg Habeeb (R-Salem)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Utility Facilities Act; associated facilities of an electrical transmission line. Provides that the issuance by the State Corporation Commission of a certificate of public convenience and necessity for construction of an electrical transmission line of 138 kilovolts and any associated facilities shall be deemed to satisfy local comprehensive plan requirements and all local zoning ordinances with respect to the transmission line and associated facilities. The measure defines "associated facilities" as including any station, substation, transition station,and switchyard facilities to be constructed in association with the 138 kilovolt transmission line. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Passed

History

DateAction
01/09/2017Committee
01/09/2017Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17101914D
01/09/2017Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
01/15/2017Impact statement from SCC (HB1766)
01/17/2017Reported from Commerce and Labor (18-Y 1-N) (see vote tally)
01/19/2017Read first time
01/20/2017Read second time and engrossed
01/23/2017Passed by for the day
01/24/2017Read third time and passed House (67-Y 30-N 1-A)
01/24/2017VOTE: PASSAGE (67-Y 30-N 1-A) (see vote tally)
01/25/2017Constitutional reading dispensed
01/25/2017Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
02/13/2017Reported from Commerce and Labor (10-Y 2-N) (see vote tally)
02/15/2017Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/16/2017Read third time
02/16/2017Reading of amendment waived
02/16/2017Amendment by Senator Stuart agreed to (26-Y 13-N) (see vote tally)
02/16/2017Amendment by Senator Stuart reconsidered (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/16/2017Amendment by Senator Stuart agreed to (22-Y 18-N) (see vote tally)
02/16/2017Engrossed by Senate as amended
02/16/2017Passed Senate with amendment (32-Y 8-N) (see vote tally)
02/20/2017Placed on Calendar
02/20/2017Senate amendment agreed to by House (60-Y 34-N 1-A)
02/20/2017VOTE: ADOPTION (60-Y 34-N 1-A) (see vote tally)
02/23/2017Enrolled
02/23/2017Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1766ER)
02/23/2017Impact statement from SCC (HB1766ER)
02/23/2017Signed by Speaker
02/24/2017Signed by President
02/28/2017Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/28/17
02/28/2017G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017
03/24/2017G Approved by Governor-Chapter 728 (effective 7/1/17)
03/24/2017G Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0728)

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 1 clip in all, totaling 9 minutes.

Transcript

This is a transcript of the video clips in which this bill is discussed.



Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): MR. SPEAKER? GENTLEMAN FROM SHENANDOAH. I HAVE A SECOND MOTION. GENTLEMAN HAS THE FLOOR.

[Unknown]: I MOVE ON PAGE 20 OF THE PRINTED CALENDAR, HOUSE BILL 1852 GO BYE UNTIL TUESDAY, AS MANY FAVOR THAT MOTION JANUARY 31ST. WILL SAY AYE. OPPOSED, NO. MOTION AGREED TO. THE PEOPLE PURSE UNITE TO HOUSE RULE 30, JOURNAL SHALL REFLECT FOLLOWING MEMBERS ARE AWAY ON PRESSING PERSONAL BUSINESS. AND GRANTED LEAVE FOR TODAY'S SESSION, DELEGATES AUSTIN AND HERETICK. THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER, I RISE FOR PURPOSE OF AN INTRODUCTION. THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER, PLEASED TO WELCOME MEMBERS OF THE FREE CAST CONCRETE ASSOCIATION OF VIRGINIA. 45 CONCRETE ESTABLISHMENTS CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH. AND THEY TROE DUES ESTIMATED $140 MILLION IN TOTAL OUTPUT. 55.1 MILLION IN VALUE ADDED AND $2.1 MILLION IN STATE AND LOCAL TAX REVENUE. SMITH MIDLAND CORPORATION AND CONCRETE PIPE. I ASK YOU GIVE OUR GUESTS A WARM HOUSE WELCOME. DELIGHTED TO HAVE VISITORS WITH US TODAY. ARE THERE FURTHER MOTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS? IF NOT THE CLERK WILL CALL CALENDAR. CALENDAR FOR TODAY, TUESDAY, JANUARY 24TH, PAGE ONE, FIRST CATEGORY. HOUSE BILL 1628 TAKEN FOR THE DAY. CONTINUING WITH THE BLOCK, HOUSE BILL 1671, 1754, 1625, PAGE THREE, HOUSE BILL 1640, HOUSE BILL 1642, EMERGENCY, HOUSE BILL 1675. PAGE FOUR, HOUSE BILLS 1705, 1728, 1732, PAGE FIVE, HOUSE BILL 1775, 1777, 1798. PAGE SIX, HOUSE BILL 1840, 1846, 1888 AND 20, 23 AND PAGE 8, CONTINUING THE BLOK, HOUSE BILLS 2072, 2153, AND HOUSE BILL 2301. SHALL THE BILLS PASS? GENTLE WOMAN FROM RICHMOND, MR. McQUINN. AYE, 97, NO, 0. BILLS ARE PASSED. CONTINUING, NEXT CATEGORY ON THIRD READING REGULAR, HOUSE BILL THIRD READING REGULAR CALENDAR, PAGE NINE OF THE PRINTED VERSION. FIRST BILL IS HOUSE BILL 1766 TO AMEND AND REENACT SECTION OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA RELATING TO STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION. MR. SPEAKER?

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): GENTLEMAN FROM SALEM, MR. HABEEB.

Del. Greg Habeeb (R-Salem): THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER, SPEAKING TO THE BILL.

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): GENTLEMAN HAS THE FLOOR.

Del. Greg Habeeb (R-Salem): MR. SPEAKER, MEMBERS OF THE BODY, I APOLOGIZE FOR OFFERING A LONG EXPLANATION ON THIRD READING. FOLKS HAVE HAD QUESTIONS BECAUSE OF MISLEADING E-MAILS SO LET ME JUST TAKE A MINUTE TO ADDRESS IT. THAT WOULD BE OKAY. THIS BILL HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY FACILITY AND DOES NOT DIMINISH LOCAL GOVERNMENT INFLUENCE OVER 138 TRANSMISSION LINES IN ANY WAY. LET ME EXPLAIN IT TO YOU. THE BILL REPORTED OUT ON 18-1 VOTE. PRIOR TO 2012, LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAD NO ROLE IN TRANSMISSION LINES FOR 138KB. THESE ONLY EXIST IN THE SERVICE TER TONE. ONLY EXCEPTION BEING WHERE DOMINION CONNECTS. WE DECIDED TO GIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT A ROLE BECAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE A JURISDICTION POSSESS SPIFFIC PROJECT. WE HAD A PROJECT THAT NEEDED EXPEDITED REVIEW AT LOCAL LEVEL. SO IN 2012, WE SAID, YOU CAN DO TRANSMISSION LINES AT THE STATE CORPORATION. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO SEPARATE ASSOCIATED FACILITIES BECAUSE IT WAS GOOD POLICY AND IMPLEMENTED SEVERAL TIMES SUCCESSFULLY. IN AN UNRELATED CASE, THE SUPREME COURT SAID IF YOU ONLY SAY TRANSMISSION LINE, WE'RE GOING TO STR TO TAKE YOUR WORD LITERALLY. THE VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT ACTUALLY BELIEVES IN LEGISLATIVE PERROGATIVE. WE SAID TRANSMISSION LINE, THE SUPREME COURT SAID IF YOU MEAN ASSESS YATED FACILITIES, YOU NEED TO SAY ASSOCIATED FACILITIES. THIS IS IMPLEMENTING THE 2012 BILL THAT WE VOTED FOR. THEY STILL HAVE STANDING TO BE INVOLVED AND THEY CAN STILL REQUEST THAT A PROJECT COME THROUGH THE LOCAL PROCESS AND WORK WITH THE UTILITY. SO AGAIN, NOT PWC. NOT DOMINION. IF YOU HAD A BUNCH OF E-MAILS AND RAISE ANOTHER ISSUE.

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): GENTLEMAN FROM PRINCE WILLIAM, MR. MARSHALL.

Del. Bob Marshall (R-Manassas): NOW, FOR THE REST OF THE CITY, MR. MARSHALL.

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): GENTLEMAN HAS THE FLOOR.

Del. Bob Marshall (R-Manassas): MR. SPEAKER, WHILE THE COMPANIES REFERENCED BY THE BILL MAY NOT HAVE ASKED FOR THIS BILL WHEN YOU'RE ESTABLISHING A LAW THAT SAYS ALL ZONING REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBSTATIONS AND ASSOCIATED FACILITIES SHALL BE SATISFIED THEY'RE BEN FISH YARES OF EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE ELECTRICITY TRANSMITTED AT THE RATES FOR WHICH THE PETITIONER APPROACHED AUTHOR OF THE BILL. IT DOESN'T MATTER. SO TO THAT EXTENT THEY'RE A IT SEEKS TO ENABLE A PRIVATE UTILITY TO LOCATE AN ELECTRIC SUBSTATION. LOCALITIES CURRENTLY DECIDE WHERE TO LOCATE ELECTRIC SUBSTATIONS. 1766 WILL ALLOW ISSUING PERMITS BENEFICIARY. TO BUILD STATIONS, SUBSTATIONS AND SWITCH YARD FACILITIES WITH 138 KILLABOLT LINES WHEREVER A UTILITY WANTS THEM. THIS IS ABOUT COMPREHENSIVE PLANS. WE'RE NOW SUBSTITUTING THE SUBJECTIVE JUDGMENT OF A PRIVATE

Comments

Ed writes:

Please do not pass this bill. Too many chances for this to be over used and it will make a mess for local zoning. What is wrong with local input on something going in their own backyard? If this passes it will come back to bite all of us at some point.

Carolyn Worssam writes:

go to http://www.vpap.org and look under MONEY, then industry and see how much money and to whom Dominion donates money to!! Any legislator who holds stock in a company should excuse himself or herself from voting. But really look at the money....See how much money is donated to the leadership pacs..They many times apply pressure for votes they want...

Must stop in Senate...check out the money Senators get too.

Didn't we vote in the last election to get rid of this stuff where we elect them but they are paid by Corporations and their lobbyist to vote the way the Corporation wants.