The American Public Power Association on Nov. 17 submitted a letter to the House Energy & Commerce Committee opposing H.R. 278, the BROADBAND Leadership Act, introduced by Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA).
APPA opposes the BROADBAND Leadership Act because it would expand federal control over public power utility infrastructure, creating safety risks without guaranteeing customer savings.
The bill’s provisions, such as non-discriminatory access, strict 90-day shot clocks, “deemed granted” approvals, unclear denial standards, and fee limitations, undermine local authority and engineering safety, APPA noted.
Additionally, ambiguity around existing agreements could expose utilities to costly legal challenges and forced rate revisions.
On Nov. 18, the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Communications & Technology passed an amendment in the nature of a substitute (ANS) to H.R. 2289, the Proportional Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act, by a vote of 16-12.
The ANS includes the legislative text of H.R. 278.
APPA said it opposes H.R. 2289, as it now includes the text of H.R. 278, and will advocate to preserve local control of the pole attachment process for public power utilities.
