HB 2661 establishes the Missouri Energy Infrastructure Bank and a dedicated fund to provide financial assistance for energy infrastructure projects. The program offers loans, bonds, and other support to electric providers (including utilities and rural cooperatives) for eligible projects like generation and transmission infrastructure, with priority given to projects in rural areas (counties with under 150,000 residents) that spur economic development. It explicitly excludes routine maintenance or repairs, focusing instead on new construction or upgrades requiring long-term planning. The bank will manage funds from the Energy Fund and Strategic Development Fund to finance these projects through mechanisms like interest rate subsidies and credit enhancements.
SB 838 modifies Missouri's renewable energy standard by establishing phased requirements for electric utilities: 2% renewable energy by 2013, increasing to 5% by 2017, 10% by 2020, and 7.5% annually starting in 2021. At least 2% of each utility's requirement must come from solar energy. The bill also creates an "accelerated renewable buyer" program for large commercial customers (over 80 average megawatts) that contract directly for renewable energy, allowing them to exclude that energy from utility compliance calculations and receive exemptions from renewable energy compliance costs. These changes directly affect Missouri's electric utilities and qualifying large commercial energy buyers.
HB 2416 modifies Missouri's property tax assessment rules, directly affecting property owners and county assessors statewide. It sets specific tax rates (e.g., 19% for residential property, 5% for solar equipment and historic vehicles) and requires assessors to annually value real property at 33.3% of its current market value, with new assessments applied every odd-numbered year. Key changes include deducting private construction costs from airport-adjacent property valuations and adding requirements for computer-assisted valuations, where assessors must prove accuracy using comparable sales data. The bill also establishes a two-year assessment maintenance plan process for counties seeking state tax funds.
HB 2537 modifies Missouri's net metering rules for small renewable energy systems. It requires utilities to offer net metering to eligible customers (like homeowners with rooftop solar under 100 kW) on a first-come basis until systems reach 5% of the utility's peak annual demand. If a utility exceeds 1% of its peak demand in a single year, it can pause new enrollments until the next year. Customers generating excess power receive credits based on the utility's "avoided fuel cost" (the cost saved by not buying that power), applied to future bills. This bill updates existing rules without creating new programs, focusing on access limits and billing mechanics for customer-generators.
HB 2402 modifies Missouri's tax code to clarify definitions for energy production projects, primarily affecting owners of solar energy systems. The bill adds specific language defining solar panels, racking systems, inverters, and related equipment as "tangible personal property" for tax purposes. This change ensures solar installations meet the state's criteria for tangible assets, potentially impacting property tax assessments. The legislation focuses on updating existing definitions rather than creating new regulatory requirements.
HB 2102 allows cities and counties in Missouri to form "neighborhood improvement districts" to fund street lighting in residential areas. These districts can cover installation, maintenance, and electricity costs for LED or equivalent efficient street lights through special assessments on properties within the district or by having electric suppliers bill residents directly. The state creates a dedicated fund to provide matching grants (with the state covering two-thirds of costs up to $2,000 per light) to help local governments implement these projects. Districts are limited to 20 years with possible 20-year extensions, and all funds must be used solely for street lighting improvements as defined in the bill.
HB 1626 allows Missouri electrical utilities to include the costs of constructing new clean baseload power plants (like nuclear facilities) in their rate base during construction, enabling them to recover these costs through customer rates before the plant is fully operational. The Public Service Commission must approve the amount included, limiting it to the project’s estimated cost and actual spending during construction. If the project is delayed or costs were incurred imprudently, utilities must refund overcharges with interest. This provision applies only to new plants not operational by August 28, 2026, and expires on December 31, 2036, unless extended.
HB 1759 modifies how Missouri counties assess personal and real property taxes. It lowers the personal property assessment rate from 33.3% to 30% of current market value for most properties starting in 2027, while maintaining specific lower rates for items like solar panels (5%), historic vehicles (5%), and agricultural crops (0.5%). The bill also updates real property assessment rules, including a provision reducing assessments for airport-related properties where private parties funded improvements. These changes directly affect property owners, county assessors, and local governments managing tax assessments across Missouri.
HB 1900 establishes the "Net Metering and Easy Connection Act" in Missouri, directly affecting homeowners and small businesses installing renewable energy systems (like rooftop solar) under 100 kilowatts. The bill requires electricity suppliers to offer net metering on a first-come, first-served basis until systems reach 5% of the supplier's annual peak electricity demand. It also limits new applications each year to no more than 1% of the previous year's peak demand to prevent sudden system overload. This policy change clarifies the process for small-scale renewable energy users to connect to the grid and receive credit for excess power they generate.
HB 2122 allows Missouri electrical corporations to include the costs of constructing new nuclear power plants (under 600 MW) in their rate base *before* the plants are completed and operational. This means utilities can recover these pre-completion construction costs through customer rates immediately, rather than waiting until the plant is finished. The Public Service Commission must approve the exact amount based on estimated project costs and actual spending during construction, with refunds required if costs were wasted or the plant isn't completed on time. The provision expires in 2036 unless extended by the Commission, and applies only to new nuclear plants not in operation by August 2026. This directly affects utilities and their ratepayers by changing how construction costs are recovered.
