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LD 1270

An Act To Establish The Department Of Energy Resources

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Rick Bennett and 7 co-sponsors

Creates the Department of Energy Resources by dissolving the Governor’s Energy Office and transferring its staff, programs, and funding to DER.

Signed by Governor
#deptofenergyresources #electricutilities #planning
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Bill Summary · LD 1270

Summary — LD 1270: An Act To Establish The Department of Energy Resources

Status: Signed by Governor (7/1/2025)
Introduced: 3/25/2025 — Committee: Energy, Utilities & Technology

Main purpose

LD 1270 creates a standalone Department of Energy Resources (DER) by eliminating the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) and transferring the GEO’s staff, duties and funding to the new department. The bill is intended to reorganize state energy functions into a cabinet-level department to centralize energy planning and administration.

Key provisions

  • Eliminates the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO).
  • Establishes the Department of Energy Resources (DER).
  • Transfers GEO staff, responsibilities and existing programs to DER.
  • Directs the Office of Policy and Legal Analysis and the Revisor of Statutes to work with DER to review and draft necessary statutory changes to effect the transition.
  • Includes related appropriations and allocations to fund DER using the amounts previously budgeted for GEO.

Fiscal impact (summary of fiscal notes)

  • Net-neutral in the fiscal notes: no long-term net cost to the General Fund.
  • FY2025-26 reallocation amounts (net-neutral adjustments):
    • General Fund: $2,461,149 (deappropriation from GEO / appropriation to DER)
    • Federal Expenditures Fund: $4,680,902 (deallocation / allocation)
    • Other Special Revenue Funds: $418,180 (deallocation / allocation)
  • Legislative costs: $0 additional; required legislative office work can be absorbed within existing resources but may delay other non-session work.
  • Minor, absorbable costs may occur in agencies (e.g., Governor’s Energy Office, Department of Labor, Office of Policy Innovation and the Future) to implement changes.

Who is affected

  • GEO employees and programs (transferred to DER).
  • State agencies that interact with GEO (now DER), including energy planning and utility stakeholders.
  • Legislature and legislative staff (required review/drafting work).
  • Energy utilities and entities involved in state planning may interact with a new cabinet-level department instead of GEO.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Referred to committee 3/25/2025; committee work, amendments (Committee Amendment H‑746; House Amendment H‑771) adopted in June 2025.
  • Passed both chambers (final concurrence actions 6/17–6/25/2025).
  • Signed by the Governor on 7/1/2025.
  • Appropriations included in the bill are also reflected in the proposed biennial budget; if adopted in the budget, duplicative appropriations in the bill would not be necessary.

Note: The bill text was focused on organizational transition; it does not, in the fiscal notes, specify substantive changes to programs, regulatory authorities, or new policy directives beyond establishing DER and transferring GEO functions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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