MOD
HB 320
ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION RIGHT-OF-WAY FEES
- Legislative URL:
- HB 320 on nmlegis.gov
- Emergency Clause:
- No
- Germane:
- N/A
- Location:
- HRC
- Action:
- [10] not prntd-HRC API.
- Issue(s):
- Energy, Transportation
Related Legislators
- Bill Sponsor:
- Roberto “Bobby” Gonzales
Related Documents
- Downloads:
-
Introduced
Fiscal Impact Report
Summary
This bill amends the mandate to the State Transportation Commission (STC), § 67-3-12 NMSA 1978, regarding rules for utility rights of way with respect to state highways. It requires the STC to adopt a rule that establishes “a schedule of highway right-of-way fees to be paid by an electricity transmission owner that sells its product directly to utilities and not to end users.” Those fees will be deposited into the Road Project Fund. The bill amends § 7-8-15 NMSA 1978 to be consistent with that fee.
This piece of legislation also creates The Road Project Fund that will be used “for the planning, design, engineering, construction or improvement of state road and highway projects as identified in the department’s current statewide transportation improvement program or successor program.”
Finally, the bill also modernizes the language in a couple of statutory sections with respect to utilities.
This bill might have both positive and negative consequences depending on the identity of the party being taxed and whether the fee would encourage or discourage the use of renewable energy, especially wind energy as it is often generated some distance from existing transmission lines.
A question with respect to this bill might be whether the funding generated by the fee could be put to more effective use that would encourage the State’s renewable energy industry.
Date of Summary: 2/5/2014
Outcome:
HB 320 died in the House Rules Committee.
Updated 7/31/14