Goat Hill Report-Week Ending March 20, 2026

Your Goat Hill Report for the Week Ending March 20, 2026

This week the Alabama legislature completed Week 10 of the session, holding a “two-day week” conducting business on the House and Senate floor on Tuesday and Thursday. The legislature has now completed 24 days out of a possible 30 legislative days. Next week the legislature will take spring break, and they will return on March 31.

*Please note: due to the legislature’s break next week, there will be no weekly legislative report next Friday (March 27). Upon their return, it is expected the legislature will hold two three-day weeks and adjourn Sine Die on April 9.

Details of this week’s notable action and news items are provided below.

Flurry of Activity Continues on PSC and Solar Energy Bills

As reported last week, energy-related bills continued their high profile in this legislative session. On Tuesday, the Alabama House on Tuesday passed HB475 by Rep. Mack Butler (R-Rainbow City) which requires the PSC to hold rate hearings every three years and guarantees that utility companies cannot pass on lobbying expenses to ratepayers. The PSC has not held such a hearing in more than 40 years. Butler said the hearings are meant to increase transparency and ultimately lead to lower utility rates. The bill also adds a restriction on utility companies’ profits, and prohibits utilities that provide electricity to consumers from incorporating a return on equity higher than the regional average. Rep. Chip Brown (R-Hollinger’s Island), amended HB475 to require the PSC to hold both a public hearing and public comment period about any proposed solar or wind facility. The amendment was made in the context of several bills have been introduced by South Alabama lawmakers in response to a controversial solar project proposal in Baldwin County. Such dramatic changes to the operation of the PSC would’ve once been seen as controversial, but in the context of rising utility bills, Butler’s HB475 passed on a vote of 104-0. It now heads to the Senate.

Another PSC reform bill passed the Senate last week and is pending committee action in the House. SB360 by Senator Clyde Chambliss (R-Prattville) would expand the current three-member PSC to seven members elected from the state’s congressional districts. It also creates a secretary of energy position as an appointee of the governor, to oversee the administration of the commission. SB360 has 34 Senate co-sponsors, meaning all 35 members of the Alabama Senate put their names on the bill.

On the increasingly hot topic of solar project developments, there was activity on several bills this week.

• HB617 by Rep. Matt Simpson (R-Daphne) – this bill would place a one-year moratorium on new solar projects. The House Transportation, Utilities & Infrastructure Committee held a public hearing on the bill this week, and it appears unlikely to get traction in the limited time remaining in the session.
• HB618 by Rep. Matt Simpson (R-Daphne) – this legislation is more targeted to coastal Alabama, where the controversial Baldwin County project is located. HB618 would authorize county commissions in Mobile and Baldwin Counties to establish zoning requirements for solar projects. The bill received a favorable report in the House TU&I Committee and awaits consideration by the full House.
• HB623 by Rep. Chris Sells (R-Greenville) – HB623 would require solar energy projects to receive a permit from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) to operate, and also sets requirements for decommissioning and property restoration. The bill received a favorable report in House State Government Committee, which the bill sponsor chairs.
• SB354 by Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Range) – this bill is the Senate companion to HB617 (noted above), placing a one-year moratorium on new solar projects. SB354 was on the Senate calendar on Tuesday but was carried over the call of the chair for future consideration. Like HB617, this bill will have difficulty getting enacted at this late point in the session.
• SB358 by Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Range) – SB358 is the Senate companion to HB618 (noted above), authorizing county commissions in Mobile and Baldwin Counties to establish zoning requirements for solar projects. The bill received a favorable Senate committee report last week and awaits consideration by the full Senate.

Primary Elections Heat Up with Two Months to Go

With the legislative session winding down, attention is beginning to shift to Alabama’s primary elections on Tuesday, May 19th – now less than 60 days away. There are many competitive races on the statewide ballot as all but two of the state’s seven constitutional officers are either term-limited or seeking a higher office. There is also a heavyweight battle for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Coach Tommy Tuberville, who is leaving DC to seek the open Governor’s seat and is a clear favorite in that race.

Federal races

Sitting First District Congressman Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) has experienced a recent surge in polling and currently leads the field in the race for U.S. Senate. Moore’s campaign has been bolstered by endorsements from President Trump and numerous U.S. Senators; however, the biggest factor in his rise has been $5+ million in outside spending from the Club for Growth and digital asset/cryptocurrency-affiliated Super PACs. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is well regarded and has twice been elected statewide, which positioned him as the early frontrunner for the seat. Recent polling data also indicates that a third candidate in the race, former Navy Seal Jared Hudson, is gaining traction with voters looking for an alternative to Moore and Marshall. A mid-June runoff for the GOP nomination is anticipated.

Two other familiar names are vying to replace Moore in the First Congressional District – former AL-01 Congressman Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) and current State Representative Rhett Marques (R-Enterprise). Carl held the seat for two terms and started the race with an existing fundraising network and major polling advantage over Marques. The support gap has since narrowed significantly – with Carl only leading the race by 8 points in polling released this week; Marques’ finances have also been bolstered by an early endorsement from Alabama junior U.S. Senator Katie Britt and a largely supportive business community from around the state.

State races

The races that are expected to be the most fiercely contested are the open seats for both Lt. Governor and Attorney General. Current Secretary of State Wes Allen and former Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl are the most prolific fundraisers in the Lt. Governor’s race and likely two frontrunners. Allen has secured most of the institutional support/endorsements out of Montgomery and Wahl notching a big victory by securing President Trump’s endorsement and out of state support – a clear contrast to Secretary Allen’s base of support.

A similar contrast has been drawn in the Attorney General’s race as well, with former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell criticizing first time political candidate Katherine Robertson of being overly reliant on out of state dollars to fund her campaign. Robertson has not shied away from support from national groups – relationships which have been cultivated through her years of working with the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA). Just this week, an outside group supporting in-vitro fertilization (IVF) access launched a negative ad campaign against Mitchell for an IVF-related ruling he authored while on the state high court. Political observers fully expect the remainder of the race to be very expensive and very heated.

Bills of Interest the Concrete Industry

HB 566 by Representative Lee received approval in committee this week and the companion bill SB 304 by Senator Greg Albritton was approved by the full Senate on Thursday. SB 304 now moves to the House and will be considered by the House Transportation, Utilities, and Infrastructure Committee following Spring Break. The legislation would limit municipalities from double counting gross revenue in the host city and project city when calculating business utilities licenses. The legislation is being supported by construction groups in the state.

The Alabama Legislature will not meet this week due to Spring Break. They will return on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. To view a list of bills the association is tracking, click here.