Legislative Bill 47 amends the Nebraska Revised Statutes to enhance regulatory oversight of privately developed renewable energy generation facilities by eliminating previous exemptions that allowed these projects to bypass certain regulatory processes. The bill repeals the exemption related to compliance with section 70-1014.02 and introduces new requirements, such as mandating electric suppliers to notify the board about the absence of foreign adversary components in facilities near military installations and holding public meetings for projects exceeding ten megawatts in capacity. Additionally, it emphasizes compliance with decommissioning requirements and consultation with the Game and Parks Commission to address environmental impacts.

The bill also modifies existing laws by requiring private electric suppliers to report meeting minutes and public comments on proposed facilities to the board. Owners of renewable energy facilities must certify their power purchase agreements with public power districts and adhere to critical infrastructure protection requirements. The previous thirty-day notice requirement before construction is replaced with a more flexible "prior" notice, and the bill clarifies that property associated with these facilities cannot be subject to eminent domain by consumer-owned electric suppliers, although such suppliers can exercise eminent domain for necessary transmission lines. Furthermore, it specifies that private electric suppliers are prohibited from selling or delivering electricity at retail in Nebraska and are not required to enter joint agreements with consumer-owned electric suppliers for facility development.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 70-1012, 70-1012.01, 70-1013, 70-1014, 70-1014.01, 70-1014.02, 70-1015