Bill Text: GA HR1543 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: House Study Commission on Subsidiary Corporation Condemnation for Electric Transmission Lines; create
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-02-24 - House Second Readers [HR1543 Detail]
Download: Georgia-2011-HR1543-Introduced.html
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House
Resolution 1543
By:
Representatives Holt of the
112th,
Dudgeon of the
24th,
and Baker of the
78th
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the House Study Committee on Subsidiary Corporation Condemnation for Electric
Transmission Lines; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
the current law concerning condemnation for the placement of electric
transmission lines creates the public expectation that noncost related factors
of land use and environmental concerns have real weight; and
WHEREAS,
Code Section 22-3-161of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated requires that
"the utility shall consider existing land uses in the geographic area where the
line is to be located, existing corridors, existing environmental conditions in
the area, engineering practices related to the construction and operation of the
line, and costs related to the construction, operation, and maintenance of the
line"; and
WHEREAS,
while cost is one of five considerations the utility is supposed to consider, it
appears that some utilities, in particular subsidiaries of electric membership
corporations that do not have ongoing customer relationships with private
citizens of this state, are considering costs to the exclusion of all other
factors; and
WHEREAS,
Georgia is one of only a handful of states that have no public oversight agency
for electric transmission line placement; and
WHEREAS,
subsidiary corporations of electric membership corporations appear in some cases
to be exercising the governmental power of eminent domain in an arbitrary,
unchecked fashion that is not keeping with public expectations and perhaps
contrary to the interest of the public.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that there is created
the House Study Committee on Subsidiary Corporation Condemnation for Electric
Transmission Lines to be composed of three members of the House of
Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The
Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one of the appointees to
serve as chairperson of the committee. The chairperson shall call all meetings
of the committee.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the
conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and
recommend any actions or legislation which the committee deems necessary or
appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such
times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and
effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and
purposes of this resolution. The committee shall examine the use of
condemnation by subsidiary corporations of electric membership corporations to
construct or expand an electric transmission line, the factors to be considered
by a subsidiary corporation in determining the practical and feasible route for
the location of the electric transmission line, and whether there is a need for
oversight or changes in the law. The members of the committee shall receive the
allowances authorized for legislative members of interim legislative committees
but shall receive the same for not more than three days unless an additional two
days are authorized by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The funds
necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from the
funds appropriated to the House of Representatives. In the event that the
committee makes a report of its findings and recommendations for proposed
legislation, such report shall be made no later than December 15, 2012. The
committee shall stand abolished on December 15, 2012.
