HF 3578

as introduced - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to energy; clarifying terms of propane prepurchase program; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, section 216B.0951, subdivision 1.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, section 216B.0951, subdivision 1,
is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Establishment.

The commissioner of commerce shall operate,
or contract to operate, a propane fuel prepurchase fuel program. new text begin The commissioner
must hold over five percent of a year's federal low-income home energy assistance
appropriation for use in the next year to prepurchase propane. new text end The commissioner may
contract at any time of the year to purchase the lesser of one-third of the liquid propane
fuel consumed by low-income home energy assistance program recipients during the
previous heating season or the amount that can be purchased with available funds. The
propane fuel prepurchase program must be available statewide through each local agency
that administers the energy assistance program. The commissioner may decide to limit or
not engage in prepurchasing if the commissioner finds that there is a reasonable likelihood
that prepurchasing will not provide fuel-cost savings. new text begin Funds required to be held over to
the next year for prepurchase that the commissioner decides not to use for prepurchase are
not required to be held over to a subsequent year and may be used for other authorized
low-income home energy assistance purposes.
new text end