State officials are working to implement regulations for a number of energy initiatives passed during the 2019 legislative session.
In the first meeting of the Interim Legislative Commission on Energy, state officials outlined the status of measures to raise the state’s renewable energy portfolio standard and provide a path for utilities to provide incentives for electric school buses.
Garrett Weir, general counsel for the state Public Utilities Commission, said regulations were being developed to implement the bills.
Another bill requires electric utilities to identify areas with a higher risk for fires and outline steps to mitigate that risk. Weir noted that utilities in California have cut off power to certain areas in an effort to prevent wildfires.
“I’m sure that you’ve all been following the news in California,” he said. “We want to make sure that we get this process right to ensure engagement with the community, with other officials who are involved in emergency management.”