HB 26-1124

HB 26-1124, known as the Electrical Generation and Distribution Resiliency bill, establishes a task force in Colorado to study and improve the state's electric grid resilience. The task force will assess transformers across the state, develop plans for hardening the grid, and recommend funding methods and regulations to enhance reliability. This affects electricity transmission companies which must participate in assessments and provide data. Since the bill has been signed into law, these measures are now set to be implemented with regular reports to legislative committees until 2031 when the task force will dissolve.

Official Summary

The bill creates the Colorado electric grid resiliency task force (task force) to study the issue of grid resilience and to make recommendations to the governor and the general assembly. The task force is 18 members.     The president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives shall organize and call the first meeting of the task force by November 28, 2026. The task force meets at least once every month until it completes its duties, but the chair may call additional meetings. Upon request by the task force, the department of regulatory agencies shall provide office space, equipment, and staff services as necessary.     The task force has the following duties on a biennial basis:Doing a rigorous, uniform engineering assessment of every covered transformer in Colorado;Developing a prioritized statewide hardening and spare-transformer plan with cost estimates, cost-benefit analyses, and recommended funding mechanisms;Recommending rules, legislation, and interstate or federal cost-sharing arrangements and publishing a report detailing these recommendations; andReporting its findings to the house of representatives energy and environment committee and the senate transportation and energy committee.     The bill sets minimum technical standards for the assessment, plan, and recommendations.     A transmission-owning entity must participate in the task force assessment and provide any requested data. These entities may recover reasonable and prudent costs incurred to comply with the bill through rates, member assessments, or ordinary budgeting processes.     Owners or operators of covered transformers are required to file with the federal energy regulatory commission a report, marked as "Critical Energy/Electric Infrastructure Information". Standards are set for the report. Biennially, the public utilities commission must prepare a summary of the report and present it to the house of representatives energy and environment committee and the senate transportation and energy committee.     The public utilities commission must adopt rules requiring implementation of the highest-priority hardware-based mitigation measures identified by the task force unless equivalent protection is demonstrated.     The task force repeals on September 1, 2031. Before the repeal, it is scheduled for review under the sunset law.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

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