SB 1303: Redefining “Renewable,” Redirecting Revenue (2026)

Summary: Changes Idaho’s narrowly defined Renewable Energy Resources Fund to a broader, undefined energy framework, expanding executive discretion over which federal energy revenues flow to OEMR.

ICL’s Position: Oppose

Current Bill Status: Committee - Senate Resources & Environment

Issue Areas: Energy, Renewable Energy, Funding

SB 1303, introduced by Sen. James Woodward (R-District 1), renames the “Renewable Energy Resources Fund” as the “Energy Resources Fund” and broadens the types of energy revenues that flow into that account, which is administered by the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources (OEMR). Under current law, money generated from geothermal, wind, and solar development on federal lands is deposited into this fund, while revenues from oil, gas, and mineral extraction are directed to the public school income fund. SB 1303 expands the definition of “renewable energy resources” to include “other sustainable energy resources.”

Although this may appear to be a minor wording change, “sustainable energy resources” is not defined anywhere in Idaho Code. By replacing a narrow list of specific technologies with an undefined category, the bill leaves open how broadly the fund may be interpreted and applied.

At its core, SB 1303 shifts the fund away from a clearly defined renewable energy framework and allows a potentially much broader range of federal energy revenues to flow to OEMR. Removing clear statutory guardrails and substituting an undefined term gives the executive branch significant discretion over future revenue allocation. For that reason, we oppose SB 1303.