It took a second vote and an interesting mix of bipartisan support, but legislation to repeal most of Arizona’s unwieldy electricity retail competition rules is still alive in the State House of Representatives.
House Bill 2101 (electric energy; reliability; public policy) was introduced by Rep. Gail Griffin (R-LD14) with 35 co-sponsors who came from both sides of the aisle. It seeks to address Arizona’s past efforts for allowing for some degree of competition among electricity providers.
Those efforts have gone nowhere according to critics, some of whom do not agree on what is wrong with the current system. But most can find common ground in believing Arizona’s laws and regulations are the problem.
HB2101 easily passed out of the House Natural Resources, Energy, and Water Committee, which Griffin chairs, but on Feb. 14 failed on its third reading on a 26 to 29 vote. However, an approved motion by Rep. Andres Cano (D-LD3) for a 14-day window to allow the third reading to be reconsidered kept HB2101 alive.
On Wednesday, the bill recorded a 37 to 21 vote despite nays from a handful of Republicans. It faces an uncertain future in the State Senate if it passes out of the House.
Read More About HB2101 HERE