Legislative Session number- 88

Bill Name: SF0901

2E Relating to energy and promoting renewable energy

ARTICLE 1 - STATE ENERGY
POLICY

Providing a planning strategy for a sustainable energy future;
requiring the legislative energy commission, in consultation with the
commissioner of commerce, to develop a framework for the state to transition to
a renewable energy economy that ends Minnesota's contribution to greenhouse
gases from burning fossil fuels over the next few decades; requiring a
legislative report; requiring the commissioner of commerce, in consultation with
the legislative energy commission, shall develop the scope for a Minnesota
energy future study on how Minnesota can achieve a sustainable energy system
that does not rely on burning fossil fuels

ARTICLE 2 - DISTRIBUTED
GENERATION; SOLAR STANDARD

Relating to cogeneration and small power
production; defining and redefining certain terms; modifying provisions
governing net metered systems and aggregation of meters; prohibiting limits on
cumulative generation; establishing certain limitations of the total generation
capacity of individual distributed generation systems; authorizing rulemaking;
allowing an alternative tariff, under certain conditions, to compensate
customers through a bill credit mechanism for the value to the utility,
customers, and society for operating distributed solar photovoltaic resources
interconnected to the utility system and operated by customers primarily for
meeting their own energy needs; establishing the community solar garden program;
establishing a solar electricity standard for public utilities, defining public
utility and total retail electric sales, providing regulations for use of
integrated resource planning process, utility plans filed with commission,
renewable energy credits, compliance requirements, and penalties; requiring a
study to discuss the role of solar energy as a generation resource for
associations and municipal utilities

ARTICLE 3 - MADE IN
MINNESOTA

Establishing the "Made in Minnesota" solar energy production
incentive; defining solar photovoltaic module; creating and allocating funds to
the "Made in Minnesota" solar energy production incentive account; specifying
application process for manufacturers of solar photovoltaic modules to qualify
for the incentive; specifying certain eligibility and process for certain
payments to owners of solar photovoltaic modules; authorizing a study of costs
and benefits of installing utility managed energy storage modules in residential
and commercial buildings; authorizing a study regarding the costs and benefits
of expanding the installation of solar thermal projects; requiring the
commissioner of commerce to contract with and independent consultant to produce
a report analyzing the potential costs and benefits of expanding the
installation of solar thermal projects


ARTICLE 4 - TRANSMISSION COST
RECOVERY

Specifying conditions and procedures for transmission cost recovery
adjustments for certain eligible new transmission facilities in utility
proceedings by the public utilities commission (PUC)

ARTICLE 5 - CERTS
FUNDING

Requiring the commissioner of commerce to assess for a grant to the
partnership to fund clean energy resources teams community-based energy program
activities

ARTICLE 6 - ENERGY POLICY AMENDMENT

Expanding public utilities
commission (PUC) and commerce department energy conservation and savings policy
goals; specifying department of commerce division of energy resources interim
activity meeting
requirements

ARTICLE 7 - EMISSION REDUCTION COST
RECOVERY

Allowing the public utility emission reduction rate rider for
certain projects installed on existing large electric generating power plants
located outside the state; modifying certain provisions relating to emission
reduction riders qualifying projects and exemptions; modifying environmental
project advance determination of prudence cost recovery and regulating rate of
return on investment in the rider

ARTICLE 8 - STATE BUILDINGS GUARANTEED
ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM

Authorizing the commissioner of administration to
extend the term of a guaranteed energy savings agreement

ARTICLE 9 -
INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLANNING

Expanding certain factors for preference for a
renewable energy facility determinations in an integrated resources plan by the
commission


ARTICLE 10 - RENEWABLE INTEGRATION STUDY

Requiring the
Minnesota electric utilities to jointly contract with an independent contractor
selected by the commissioner of commerce and to complete the renewable
integration study work under the direction of the commissioner of commerce;
requiring the commissioner to appoint a technical review committee prior to the
start of the study; requiring a report

ARTICLE 11 - GAS UTILITY
INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS

Modifying gas utility infrastructure cost recovery;
modifying certain definitions and gas infrastructure filing requirements;
establishing a gas infrastructure project plan report and review; establishing a
cost recovery petition process for utilities facilities; specifying rate of
return on investment requirements; requiring certain action by the public
utilities commission; extending the expiration date of repayment of loans made
by a city to a commercial or residential owner to install conservation
investments or renewable energy devices; repealing a certain provision relating
to recovery of certain greenhouse gas infrastructure costs

ARTICLE 12 -
PACE

Defining cost effective energy improvements; modifying certain
definitions related to local government energy improvement programs; modifying
and clarifying certain provisions relating to payment of special assessments of
energy improvement financing programs

ARTICLE 13 - WASTE HEAT
RECOVERY

Modifying the definition of energy conservation improvement by
adding waste heat recovered and used as thermal energy; defining waste heat
recovered and used as thermal energy; permitting displaced gas or electric
energy to be counted toward savings goals

ARTICLE 14 - SOLAR ENERGY
PRODUCTION INCENTIVE PROGRAM

Requiring certain utilities operate a program
to provide solar energy production incentives for certain solar energy
systems

ARTICLE 15 - STUDY OF INDUSTRIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Authorizing the
legislative energy commission to study and report to the legislature on how best
to increase the competitiveness of the paper, pulp, mining, foundry and steel
industries in the state through cost-effective energy efficiency

ARTICLE 16 -
APPROPRIATIONS

Appropriating money to the commissioner of commerce and to the
public utilities commission for carrying out certain activities required in this
act
(me)