70-1403. Legislative findings.

The Legislature hereby finds and determines that:

(1) Certain public power districts in this state which are empowered severally to engage in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power and energy have for many years owned and operated systems for the distribution of electric power and energy to customers in their respective service areas, have the resources and ability to facilitate the development of a hydrogen production and distribution industry, and have the resources and ability to facilitate the development of an ethanol production and distribution industry;

(2) Such public power districts owning electric distribution systems have an obligation to provide the inhabitants and customers of the district an adequate, reliable, and economical source of electric power and energy in the future;

(3) In order to enhance the economy within the state, to achieve the economies and efficiencies made possible by the proper planning, financing, and location of facilities for the generation and transmission of electric power and energy, the production, storage, and distribution of hydrogen, and the production and distribution of ethanol which are not practical for any public power district acting alone, and to ensure an adequate, reliable, and economical supply of electric power and energy, hydrogen, and ethanol to the people of this state, it is desirable for the state to authorize public power districts to jointly plan, finance, develop, own, and operate electric generation and transmission facilities, hydrogen production, storage, or distribution facilities, and ethanol production and distribution facilities appropriate to their needs in order to provide for their present and future power requirements for all uses without supplanting or displacing the service at retail of other electric suppliers operating in this state;

(4) In order for public power districts of this state to secure long-term, supplemental, short-term, and interim financing for both capital projects and operational purposes, it is also desirable to authorize public power districts to join together to create joint authorities which can issue revenue bonds and other obligations and make loans to its member public power districts at less cost than if the individual public power district secured its own financing; and

(5) The creation of joint authorities by public power districts which own electric distribution systems, hydrogen production, storage, or distribution facilities, and ethanol production and distribution facilities for the joint planning, financing, development, ownership, and operation of electric generation and transmission facilities, hydrogen production, storage, or distribution facilities, and ethanol production and distribution facilities and the issuance of revenue bonds by such joint authorities for such purposes as provided by the Joint Public Power Authority Act is for a public use and for public purposes and is a means of achieving economies, adequacy, and reliability in the generation or transmission of electric power and energy and in the meeting of future needs of this state and its inhabitants.

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