Energy budget agreement reached
Yesterday, language for a 2026-27 state government energy budget (and the accompanying spreadsheet) was quietly posted to the legislature’s website. The bill primarily finances the state Public Utilities Commission and the state Dept. of Commerce’s energy division.
I would have preferred the bare-bones House version, which weighed in at less than six pages. The final, compromise bill with the Governor and the state senate runs 48 pages.
The whole exercise was a missed opportunity to do some real policy reform that would have resulted in lower energy bills for consumers.
Missing in this year’s budget is the $100 million or so in pork-barrel spending the Democrats had included in 2023 when they had total control.
Small mercies.