HB 2998 modifies Missouri statutes to support rural economic development through several concrete measures. It prohibits electric utilities from closing coal-fired power plants for five years (§393.407), requires solar projects to source 90% of equipment and labor from Missouri or the U.S. (§393.1120), and caps solar development on cropland at 2% per county (§393.1122). The bill also mandates prioritized funding for rural roads based on population (§226.035) and establishes a Rural Development Office within the Department of Economic Development to coordinate rural programs and report on community needs like broadband and healthcare (§620.070). These provisions directly affect utilities, solar developers, transportation planners, and rural communities across Missouri.
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Economic Development
Rural Communities
HB 2980 requires counties to issue permits for solar power plants before the state can approve them. It sets specific rules: solar farms must be at least 1,000 feet from homes, schools, or churches; 300 feet from other properties; and 250 feet from roads, with noise limits of 45 decibels. Developers must submit safety plans, hold public meetings, and provide decommissioning plans with a bond covering 125% of cleanup costs before construction begins. The bill directly affects solar developers and county governments by adding local permitting requirements and cleanup accountability.
SB 933 places a temporary pause on the construction of new solar energy projects across the state. This bill directly affects solar developers, project planners, and communities where new solar facilities were planned. The key provision halts all new construction permits and site development for utility-scale solar projects until the legislature reviews the policy, with no specific exemptions or duration outlined in the current text.
HB 2579, titled the "Net Metering and Easy Connection Act," modifies Missouri's net metering rules to set a 5% cap on the total capacity of small renewable energy systems (up to 100 kilowatts) connected to the grid. It requires electric utilities to offer net metering on a first-come, first-served basis until the combined capacity of all such systems reaches 5% of the utility's peak electricity demand from the previous year. After this cap is met, utilities' governing bodies may increase the limit, but they are not required to approve new applications if the total capacity would exceed the cap in a given year. This directly affects residential and small business customers with solar or similar renewable systems and the electric utilities serving them.
HB 2477 imposes an immediate moratorium on the construction of new solar projects in Missouri that sell electricity commercially (including permits and ongoing construction). It directly affects solar developers and companies planning large-scale solar facilities. The bill requires the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to create environmental rules for solar projects by December 31, 2027, or the moratorium continues until those rules are finalized. The moratorium ends on December 31, 2027, unless the department fails to issue the required rules. The bill includes an emergency clause citing public health and safety concerns as justification for immediate implementation.
HB 2169 restricts utility companies from using eminent domain to take land from other utility providers (like municipalities or cooperatives) unless the company seeks only a nonexclusive right-of-way that won’t disrupt existing services or future expansion. It specifically prevents condemnation for wind/solar energy facilities themselves but allows utilities to acquire rights for transmission lines connecting renewable energy sources to the grid. This bill directly affects utility companies, rural cooperatives, and other providers of public utility services seeking to expand infrastructure.
SB 849 would pause the construction of new solar energy projects statewide. The bill, currently pending review by the Senate Energy Committee, does not specify exemptions or duration. It directly affects solar developers and project builders by halting new construction permits. This is a procedural bill that has not yet been enacted into law.
