Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas A Bill
2 95th General Assembly
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1073
4
5 By: Representative Ennett
6
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO CREATE THE ADVANCED ENERGY JOBS TASK FORCE;
10 AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
11
12
13 Subtitle
14 TO CREATE THE ADVANCED ENERGY JOBS TASK
15 FORCE.
16
17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
18
19 SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative findings.
20 The General Assembly finds that:
21 (1) Job creation is a priority for the state;
22 (2) The manufacturing, installation, and operation of advanced
23 energy systems is a growth industry and should be encouraged;
24 (3) The composition and structure of the nation's energy system
25 is transitioning to a system with near zero (0) emissions to be more:
26 (A) Engaging with customers; and
27 (B) Resilient in adapting to weather-induced electrical
28 grid impacts;
29 (4) Many electric utility companies have voluntarily announced
30 goals to transition to advanced energy systems;
31 (5) Many major businesses desire to reduce their carbon
32 footprint to meet market-driven sustainability goals and may use access to
33 advanced energy systems as a determining factor for business location;
34 (6) Planning for the creation of advanced energy jobs requires
35 input from all stakeholders;
36 (7) To ensure Arkansas can fully capitalize on the many
*ANS085* 12/12/2024 10:41:50 AM ANS085
HB1073
1 employment opportunities in this growing industry, the creation of an
2 advanced energy jobs task force can add significant value to the state's
3 economic development efforts; and
4 (8) By promoting the adoption of advanced electricity systems by
5 Arkansas businesses and expanding on advanced energy technical training
6 options with educational institutions, the state can continue to grow its
7 economy while taking advantage of some of the most innovative initiatives in
8 the nation.
9
10 SECTION 2. TEMPORARY LANGUAGE. DO NOT CODIFY. Advanced Energy Jobs
11 Task Force � Creation � Duties -- Definitions.
12 (a) As used in this section:
13 (1) "Advanced electricity resource" means any fuel, technology,
14 or policy that generates electricity or facilitates the production of
15 electricity with improved efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and
16 advanced capabilities;
17 (2) "Advanced electricity system" means the entirety of an
18 electrical grid system, including without limitation:
19 (A) A diverse portfolio of advanced electricity resources,
20 both centralized and distributed generation;
21 (B) An annual electric grid carbon intensity of fifty
22 grams carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour (50g COe/kWh) or less;
23 (C) A transmission and distribution network;
24 (D) Energy storage facilities;
25 (E) Demand response capabilities, including without
26 limitation:
27 (i) Smart metering;
28 (ii) Information infrastructure;
29 (iii) Implementation policies; and
30 (iv) Utility and customer communications;
31 (F) Policies and programs that support energy efficiency
32 and conservation measures; and
33 (G) Market structures that properly incentivize:
34 (i) Deployment of advanced electricity resources;
35 (ii) Reasonably rapid deployment of an optimal mix
36 of advanced electricity resources that provides near zero (0) emissions
2 12/12/2024 10:41:50 AM
HB1073
1 electricity at low overall electricity system cost;
2 (iii) Reliable and resilient electricity system
3 performance; and
4 (iv) Reasonable, stable, nonvolatile energy pricing
5 for ratepayers;
6 (3) "Carbon intensity" means the amount of global warming
7 potential of greenhouse gases emitted to produce a given amount of electrical
8 power, measured on an annual basis and expressed in grams of carbon dioxide
9 equivalent per kilowatt hour (g COe/kWh);
10 (4) "Direct emissions" means the carbon intensity of emissions
11 from operation and maintenance of an energy source;
12 (5) "Greenhouse gas" means carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous
13 oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, or any
14 other gas identified by the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission
15 as a gas that traps heat in the atmosphere;
16 (6)(A) "Indirect emissions" means the carbon intensity of the
17 full energy chain for an energy resource, exclusive of the direct emissions.
18 (B) "Indirect emissions" includes without limitation the:
19 (i) Mining, processing, and transporting of
20 materials for energy resource equipment;
21 (ii) Manufacturing, transporting, and installing of
22 energy resource equipment;
23 (iii) Decommissioning or disposing of energy
24 resource equipment; and
25 (iv) Mining, processing, and transporting of
26 combustion fuel; and
27 (7) "Near zero (0) emissions" means electricity production that
28 achieves a nominal value of zero grams carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt
29 hour (0g COe/kWh) to fifty grams carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour
30 (50g COe/kWh), measured on an annual basis.
31 (b) There is created the Advanced Energy Jobs Task Force.
32 (c)(1) The task force shall consist of the following members:
33 (A) One (1) Senate chair, who shall be appointed from the
34 membership of the Senate by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
35 (B) One (1) House chair, who shall be appointed from the
36 membership of the House of Representatives by the Speaker of the House of
3 12/12/2024 10:41:50 AM
HB1073
1 Representatives or his or her designee;
2 (C) One (1) Senate cochair, who shall be appointed from
3 the membership of the Senate by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
4 (D) One (1) House cochair, who shall be appointed from the
5 membership of the House of Representatives by the Speaker of the House of
6 Representatives or his or her designee;
7 (E) The Chair of the Senate Committee on City, County, and
8 Local Affairs or his or her designee;
9 (F) The Chair of the House Committee on City, County, and
10 Local Affairs or his or her designee;
11 (G) One (1) member of the minority party of the General
12 Assembly, who shall be appointed from the membership of the Senate by the
13 President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
14 (H) One (1) member of the minority party of the General
15 Assembly, who shall be appointed from the membership of the House of
16 Representatives by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
17 (I) One (1) member of the majority party of the General
18 Assembly, who shall be appointed from the membership of the Senate by the
19 President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
20 (J) One (1) member of the majority party of the General
21 Assembly, who shall be appointed from the membership of the House of
22 Representatives by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
23 (K) The Director of the Arkansas Economic Development
24 Commission or his or her designee;
25 (L) The Chair of the Arkansas Public Service Commission or
26 his or her designee;
27 (M) The Secretary of the Department of Energy and
28 Environment or his or her designee; and
29 (N) The Executive Director of the Arkansas Advanced Energy
30 Association or his or her designee.
31 (2) If a vacancy occurs on the task force, the vacancy shall be
32 filled by the same process as the original appointment.
33 (3)(A) The legislative members of the task force attending in
34 person shall be paid per diem and mileage as authorized by law for attendance
35 at meetings of interim committees of the General Assembly.
36 (B) The nonlegislative members of the task force may
4 12/12/2024 10:41:50 AM
HB1073
1 receive a per diem allowance of up to sixty dollars ($60.00) when in
2 attendance at regular or special meetings of the task force.
3 (d)(1) The cochairs of the task force shall call the first meeting of
4 the task force within sixty (60) to ninety (90) days of the effective date of
5 this act.
6 (2)(A) The task force shall conduct its meetings using a digital
7 access platform, including without limitation online or virtual meetings held
8 through Zoom.
9 (B) Meetings of the task force shall be held at least one
10 (1) time every month but may occur more often at the call of the cochairs of
11 the task force.
12 (3) The task force shall establish rules and procedures for
13 conducting business of the task force.
14 (4)(A)(i) A majority of the members of the task force shall
15 constitute a quorum for transacting business of the task force.
16 (ii) Members of the task force attending a meeting
17 virtually shall count for purposes of establishing a quorum.
18 (B) An affirmative vote of a majority of a quorum present,
19 in person or virtually, shall be required for the passage of a motion or
20 other task force action.
21 (5) The Bureau of Legislative Research shall provide staff for
22 the task force.
23 (e)(1) The task force shall study and propose:
24 (A) How to best prepare Arkansas to take full advantage of
25 the transition to advanced electricity systems with respect to job creation
26 and economic development; and
27 (B) The best pathways to:
28 (i) Identify industry training gaps within the state
29 for relevant advanced electricity resources, including solar, nuclear, fossil
30 fuels with carbon capture, use and sequestration, wind, geothermal,
31 hydropower, transmission and distributions systems, information systems,
32 instrumentation systems, and others;
33 (ii) Assess existing collegiate, technical,
34 apprenticeship, and career and technical education courses and training
35 opportunities currently available inside and outside of the state,
36 identifying best practices that can be replicated;
5 12/12/2024 10:41:50 AM
HB1073
1 (iii) Work with the Division of Workforce Services
2 to explore the use of funds received under the Workforce Innovation and
3 Opportunity Act, 29 U.S.C. � 3101 et seq., to develop pathways to prosperity
4 for residents with barriers to employment through advanced energy jobs;
5 (iv) Identify emerging best practices regarding
6 workforce development and associated coordination of resources to prepare for
7 the advanced energy economy;
8 (v) Identify the magnitude and timetable associated
9 with new business development associated with an advanced energy economy;
10 (vi) Determine the appropriate ways and programs for
11 investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, and member-owned utilities in
12 achieving an advanced energy system;
13 (vii) Prioritize approaches that are more applicable
14 to decarbonization and electrification of other energy sectors, including
15 without limitation industrial processes, transportation, and building
16 heating;
17 (viii) Identify currently available technologies and
18 technology gaps relevant to achieving an advanced energy system;
19 (ix) Consider all emerging technologies relevant to
20 achieving an advanced energy system;
21 (x) Identify the roles of various programs and
22 approaches in achieving an advanced energy system, including without
23 limitation energy efficiency, conservation, centralized and distributed
24 generation, demand response, energy storage, and project financing for power
25 sector infrastructure;
26 (xi) Identify and minimize impacts on vulnerable and
27 underserved communities in seeking to achieve an advanced energy system;
28 (xii) Prioritize environmental and economic
29 considerations relevant to achieving an advanced energy system; and
30 (xiii) Minimize new generation capacity additions
31 with significant emissions that would likely become costly stranded assets.
32 (2) To achieve the purpose under subdivision (e)(1) of this
33 section, the task force shall:
34 (A) Evaluate, study, and address the issues identified in
35 subdivision (e)(1) of this section; and
36 (B) Recommend specific solutions and legislation necessary
6 12/12/2024 10:41:50 AM
HB1073
1 to provide pathways for Arkansas to maximize advanced energy jobs and
2 economic development and to achieve a statewide advanced energy system.
3 (f) On or before December 31, 2026, the task force shall file with the
4 Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
5 House of Representatives a final written report of its activities, findings,
6 and recommendations, including recommendations for proposed legislation.
7 (g) If the task force determines it is necessary, the task force may
8 contract with one (1) or more facilitators to assist the task force with the
9 study and report required under this section.
10 (h) The task force expires on December 31, 2026.
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
7 12/12/2024 10:41:50 AMEvery fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.