Legislation

Bill Watch 2009

Each legislative bill number is a link to the status of the legislation.  While the legislature is in session, you will be able to track the progress of the bill.  Since Nebraska has a two-year legislative cycle, the status of the bills will carry forward from June 4, 2009 (the last day of the first session) to January 6, 2010 (the first day of the second session).

Conservation Agenda Initiative:  Renewable Resources for Energy Independence

 

LB 14     (White)             Public building energy conservation
This provides that the State Energy Office will establish energy efficiency building standards for all capital projects of the state, including schools, colleges and universities.  It also provides that most state agencies will reduce energy consumption by 10% per square foot by 2014, and by 15% per square foot by 2017.

 

LB 235   (Adams)            Board of Educational Lands and Funds (BELF) may sell wind rights
Authorizes the BELF to sell and/or lease wind rights, and carbon sequestration rights.
SUPPORT with encouragement to add siting criteria to avoid ecologically sensitive sites.

LB 246   (Dubas)              Biopower Steering Committee
Extends the timeline of this existing Committee, and directs it to conduct a baseline study to assess economic potential from biotechnology in Nebraska and to develop a 5-year strategic plan to develop this resource.  The hearing was January 30.
SUPPORT with amendment to include assessment of impact on water and other natural resources as a component of the economic potential. 

LB 436   (Haar)                Net metering
Provides standards for reimbursing user/generators of electricity for excess power sold back to utilities.  This language is based on net metering bills negotiated in previous years, and has been developed in conversation with several utilities.
SUPPORT

LB 437   (Haar)                Wind Energy Development Zone
Creates a Wind Energy Development Zone Task Force to assess current and future wind resource generation assets to provide 7880 MW of wind power to be developed by June 1, 2018. Creates a map and explores the use of enterprise zones.
SUPPORT AS A PRIORITY

LB 439   (Fischer)            Home Energy Alternatives Act
Requires than any prohibition on the installation of a private renewable energy generation facility be strictly based on the protection of public health and welfare.
SUPPORT

 LB 455   (Nordquist)         Renewable Energy sales and use tax credit
Creates a renewable energy sales tax credit for power generators
SUPPORT

LB 471   (Fulton)              Change Public Power special generation application provisions
Expedites approval of renewable energy generation facilities by the Power Review Board.
SUPPORT AS A PRIORITY

LB 491   (Haar)                Home Energy Efficiency Loans
Creates a mechanism to capture grants or funds for loan to improve residential properties.
SUPPORT

LB 561   (Lathrop)            Restrict eminent domain for wind energy projects
Clarifies that public utilities may modify their powers of eminent domain in contracts with investor owned projects to provide renewable energy.
SUPPORT

LB565    (Louden)            Woody Biomass Energy Act
Creates a loan fund for public building to convert to power and heat from wood combustion.
SUPPORT

LB 566   (Dubas)              Windmill manufacturing tax incentives
MONITOR

LB 567   (Dubas)             Change State Energy Office responsibilities
Assigns comprehensive planning responsibilities to the State Energy Office for the development of renewable energy resources.  Establishes priorities for the State Energy Office.
SUPPORT AS A PRIORITY

LB 568   (Dubas)              Wind easement & lease provisions
Provides safeguards, standards and procedures for wind lease and easements.
SUPPORT

LB 569   (Dubas)              School wind grants
Provides $25,000 for matching funds for a federal school wind grant program.
SUPPORT

LB 591   (Dierks)             Change approval process for electric generation facilities
Adds environmental considerations to the review criteria for permiting new power plants.  This is very important to accomplish, either through this bill or another mechanism.
MONITOR

LB 624   (Haar)                Energy Efficiency loans for public buildings

Provides a mechanism in case federal funding becomes available through the stimulus package, or other sources.  It is unfunded as introduced.
SUPPORT

LB 641 (Schilz)                 Production incentive for renewable diesel fuel
Provides a tax credit for biofuel production
SUPPORT

LB 663   (Janssen)           Net metering
This is a very technical and detailed proposal to establish net metering.  It deserves our support but is not initially as appealing as Senator Haar’s bill on this subject due to its complexity.
MONITOR

 

Conservation Agenda Initiative:  Landowner Conservation Incentives

LB 520   (Hadley)            Provide a 15% tax credit for qualified donations of conservation easements
Introduced at our request, based on the Revenue Committee version of LB 488 last year.
SUPPORT AS A PRIORITY.

 

Conservation Agenda Initiative: The Platte River Recovery Program

LB 438   (Fischer)            Prohibit instream appropriations in certain basins
This proposal poses serious threats to establishing appropriations of water for the benefit of habitat and wildlife.
OPPOSE AS A PRIORITY.

 

Conservation Ageda Initiative: Nebraska Healthy Waters Initiative

LB 56     (Fischer)            Add intent to Livestock Waste Management Act
Adds language requiring the Department of Environmental Quality to find “intent or willful neglect” before declaring a violation of the Clean Water Act for feedlot operators; redefines partners and permit holders for the purposes of issuing violations.
OPPOSE.

LB 98     (Carlson)            Riparian Vegetation Management
Extends Riparian Vegetation Management Task Force to 2011.
SUPPORT.

LB 100 (Carlson)              Change Pesticide Act
This bill it allows increased testing requirements, reporting and raises application fees.
SUPPORT.

LB 254   (Dubas)              Aerial pesticide license
Provides that aerial pesticide operators be permitted by location.  Most complaints and violations of applications are generated by “carpet bagger” applicators.
SUPPORT.

LB 504   (Langemeier)      Discharge dredge or fill material-CleanWater Act
PENDING REVIEW.

 

Conservation Agenda Initiative:  Resource Recovery and Recycling

LB 180 (NR Comm)           Add deconstruction funds in solid waste grants
This bill is on select file at the time of this writing.  It add the deconstruction of abandoned buildings in cities of 5000 or less to the eligble projects which may be funded by the grant program.
SUPPORT.

LB 379 (Haar)                  Extend scrap tire program
Extends the existing program to 2011.
SUPPORT.

LB 632 (Mello)                Green Building Act
Establishes sales tax credit for construction or retrofitting commercial buildings according to LEED definitions.
SUPPORT.

LB 644 (Mello)                Electronics Recycling Act
Based on LB 986 from last session which was passed by the legislature 44-0, and vetoed by Governor Heineman.  Senator Mello committed to introduce this bill in our interview for endorsement this summer.
SUPPORT AS A PRIORITY.

 

Conservation Agenda Principle:  Hold the Line on Current Funding and Protections

LB 134   Pankonin            Change Eminent Domain re trails
OPPOSE