1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 SENATE BILL 1535 By: Burns
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to the Oklahoma Low Carbon Energy
7 Initiative; amending 17 O.S. 2021, Sections 802.2 and
8 802.3, as amended by Sections 1 and 2, Chapter 27,
8 O.S.L. 2022 (17 O.S. Supp. 2023, Sections 802.2 and
9 802.3), which relate to the duties of the Initiative
9 and the Oklahoma Low Carbon Energy Initiative Board
10 membership; modifying duties and membership of the
10 Board; requiring electronic reporting; updating
11 statutory reference; and providing an effective date.
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14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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15 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 17 O.S. 2021, Section 802.2, as
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16 amended by Section 1, Chapter 27, O.S.L. 2022 (17 O.S. Supp. 2023,
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17 Section 802.2), is amended to read as follows:
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18 Section 802.2. A. There is hereby created the Oklahoma Low
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19 Carbon Energy Initiative, referred to in Section 802.1 et seq. of
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20 this title as the Initiative, which shall serve as a strategic
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21 program designed to create, advance, and promote new and existing
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22 energy research and development, use, supply chain activity, and
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23 infrastructure related to Oklahoma’s core energy competencies by:
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 1 1. Promoting research and development in the areas of
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2 conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas development and
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3 production, hydrogen production, storage, and distribution, CO2
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4 enhanced oil recovery, wind forecasting, advanced biofuels, energy
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5 storage, water management, nuclear energy, energy policy and
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6 economic analysis, energy system optimization, renewable energy
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7 integration into the electrical grid, and similar energy
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8 technologies;
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9 2. Fostering communication and collaboration between state and
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10 federal governmental agencies, institutions of higher education, and
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11 private entities located throughout Oklahoma;
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12 3. Advancing research and development programs and growing
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13 production, supply chain activity, and infrastructure that provide
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14 benefits to all industries and regions of the state;
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15 4. Streamlining research and development efforts between
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16 private and public industry to create synergistic relationships that
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17 coordinate, not duplicate, efforts;
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18 5. Establishing Oklahoma as a regional resource and
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19 clearinghouse for transformative energy technologies in the areas of
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20 traditional energy, hydrogen production, storage, and distribution,
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21 and renewable resource research and development;
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22 6. Attracting best-in-class researchers to Oklahoma in
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23 competency areas aligned with Oklahoma’s natural resource base;
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 1 7. Coordinating with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to
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2 enhance venture capital investment in energy-related research and
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3 business opportunities; and
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4 8. Promoting seed funding that can be leveraged against state,
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5 federal, and private-source funding to establish sufficient startup
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6 resources.
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7 B. The Initiative may receive assistance from any state agency
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8 or public entity to implement the provisions of the Oklahoma Energy
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9 Initiative Act including, but not limited to, administrative
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10 assistance, staffing or legal counsel and provision of office space
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11 or equipment as necessary. Assistance agreements may be made by
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12 memorandums of understanding or as otherwise provided by law.
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13 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 17 O.S. 2021, Section 802.3, as
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14 amended by Section 2, Chapter 27, O.S.L. 2022 (17 O.S. Supp. 2023,
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15 Section 802.3), is amended to read as follows:
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16 Section 802.3. A. The Oklahoma Low Carbon Energy Initiative
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17 shall be administered and governed by the Oklahoma Low Carbon Energy
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18 Initiative Board, made up of representatives of the contributing
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19 institutions and entities of the Initiative which shall include but
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20 not be limited to the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State
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21 University, and the University of Tulsa. Additional contributing
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22 members may be added at the discretion of the Board, if they
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23 contribute to the purpose, objectives, and research coordinated by
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24 the Initiative.
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 1 B. The Board shall consist of eleven (11) thirteen (13) members
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2 as follows:
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3 1. One member, who shall serve as the chair of the Board, shall
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4 be the Secretary of Energy and Environment or a member otherwise
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5 appointed by the Governor;
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6 2. One member shall be the Vice President for Research from the
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7 University of Oklahoma or a member otherwise appointed by the
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8 President of the University of Oklahoma;
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9 3. One member shall be the Vice President for Research from
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10 Oklahoma State University or a member otherwise appointed by the
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11 President of Oklahoma State University;
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12 4. One member shall be the Vice President for Research and
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13 Economic Development from the University of Tulsa or a member
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14 otherwise appointed by the President of the University of Tulsa;
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15 5. One member who shall represent the Oklahoma Department of
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16 Commerce, appointed by the Director of the Department of Commerce;
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17 6. One member who shall represent the Department of Labor,
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18 appointed by the Commissioner of Labor;
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19 7. One member who shall represent the Department of
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20 Environmental Quality, appointed by the Executive Director of the
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21 Department of Environmental Quality;
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22 8. One member who shall represent the Corporation Commission,
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23 appointed by the Chair of the Commission;
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 1 9. One member who shall represent the Department of
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2 Transportation, appointed by the Director of the Department of
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3 Transportation;
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4 10. One member who shall represent the Oklahoma Water Resources
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5 Board, appointed by the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Water
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6 Resources Board; and
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7 11. One member who shall represent the Oklahoma Center for the
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8 Advancement of Science and Technology, appointed by the Executive
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9 Director of the Center for the Advancement of Science and
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10 Technology;
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11 12. One member, who shall represent an electric utility or
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12 cooperative regulated by the Corporation Commission, appointed by
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13 the President Pro Tempore of the Senate; and
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14 13. One member, who shall represent the nuclear energy
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15 industry, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
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16 C. 1. The Board shall establish an Energy Industry Advisory
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17 Council, appointed by the chair, for the purposes of providing
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18 industry expertise and knowledge, assisting the Board with annual
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19 report requirements, providing general recommendations, and other
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20 support as needed to advance the efforts of the Board.
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21 2. Members appointed to the Council shall serve at the pleasure
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22 of the chair of the Board.
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23 D. Board members shall serve for a term of four (4) years,
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24 which shall begin on January 1 of the first year of the appointment
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 1 and end on December 31 of the fourth year. There shall be no limit
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2 to the number of consecutive terms served. If a vacancy should
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3 occur during a member’s term, the appointing authority for the
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4 vacant position shall appoint a new member to fill the remainder of
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5 the unexpired term. Board members shall serve without compensation
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6 but may be eligible for necessary travel expenses pursuant to the
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7 State Travel Reimbursement Act.
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8 E. The Board shall be responsible for establishing procedures
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9 for the Initiative and operations of the Board and the Advisory
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10 Council. The rules may provide for protection from public
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11 disclosure of trade secrets and proprietary information of any kind
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12 including, but not limited to, data, processes and technology, as
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13 the Board determines necessary.
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14 F. The Board shall undertake activities and commission
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15 programs, through the contributing institutions and entities, to
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16 achieve the purpose and satisfy the objectives of the Initiative as
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17 provided in the Oklahoma Energy Initiative Act. The Board shall
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18 have authority to distribute funding for such activities and
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19 programs. The Board may employ staff as it deems necessary.
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20 G. The Board, in consultation with the Advisory Council and any
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21 other party deemed necessary, shall prepare submit and publish
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22 electronically an annual, written report to summarize the annual
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23 progress of the Initiative including summaries of its programs and
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24 their progress and outcomes. The report shall be made available to
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 1 the public and shall be distributed electronically to the Governor,
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2 the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
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3 House of Representatives.
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4 H. The provisions of the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act shall
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5 not apply to any project, activity or contract of the Initiative or
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6 the Board.
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7 I. No Board member or any person acting on behalf of the Board,
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8 Advisory Council, or Initiative executing any contracts, commitments
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9 or agreements issued by or on behalf of the Oklahoma Low Carbon
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10 Energy Initiative shall be personally liable for the contracts,
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11 commitments, or agreements or be subject to any personal liability
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12 or accountability by reason thereof. No director or any person
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13 acting on behalf of the Board or Initiative shall be personally
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14 liable for damage or injury resulting from the performance of duties
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15 hereunder.
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16 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024.
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18 59-2-2660 RD 1/2/2024 4:23:02 PM
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 17-802.2, 17-802.3
Floor (House): 17-802.2, 17-802.3
Floor (Senate): 17-802.2, 17-802.3
Engrossed: 17-802.2, 17-802.3
Enrolled (final version): 17-802.2, 17-802.3