HF 2120

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to energy; modifying the issuance of site
permits and route permits for large electric energy
facilities and providing for the payment of fees to
the Environmental Quality Board; authorizing
rulemaking; amending Minnesota Statutes 2004, section
116C.69, subdivisions 2, 2a.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 116C.69,
subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Site application fee.

Every applicant for a
site permit shall pay to the board a fee deleted text begin in an amount equal to
$500 for each $1,000,000 of production plant investment in the
proposed installation as defined in the Federal Power Commission
Uniform System of Accounts. The board shall specify the time
and manner of payment of the fee. If any single payment
requested by the board is in excess of 25 percent of the total
estimated fee, the board shall show that the excess is
reasonably necessary. The applicant shall pay within 30 days of
notification any additional fees reasonably necessary for
completion of the site evaluation and designation process by the
board. In no event shall the total fees required of the
applicant under this subdivision exceed an amount equal to 0.001
of said production plant investment ($1,000 for each $1,000,000)
deleted text end new text begin to cover the necessary and reasonable costs incurred by the
board in acting on the permit application and carrying out the
requirements of sections 116C.51 to 116C.69. The Environmental
Quality Board may adopt rules providing for the payment of the
fee new text end . All money received pursuant to this subdivision shall be
deposited in a special account. Money in the account is
appropriated to the board to pay expenses incurred in processing
applications for site permits in accordance with sections
116C.51 to 116C.69 and in the event the expenses are less than
the fee paid, to refund the excess to the applicant.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 116C.69,
subdivision 2a, is amended to read:

Subd. 2a.

Route application fee.

Every applicant for a
transmission line route permit shall pay to the board a deleted text begin base deleted text end fee
deleted text begin of $35,000 plus a fee in an amount equal to $1,000 per mile
length of the longest proposed route. The board shall specify
the time and manner of payment of the fee. If any single
payment requested by the board is in excess of 25 percent of the
total estimated fee, the board shall show that the excess is
reasonably necessary. In the event the actual cost of
processing an application up to the board's final decision to
designate a route exceeds the above fee schedule, the board may
assess the applicant any additional fees necessary to cover the
actual costs, not to exceed an amount equal to $500 per mile
length of the longest proposed route deleted text end new text begin to cover the necessary and
reasonable costs incurred by the board in acting on the permit
application and carrying out the requirements of sections
116C.51 to 116C.69. The Environmental Quality Board may adopt
rules providing for the payment of the fee new text end . All money received
pursuant to this subdivision shall be deposited in a special
account. Money in the account is appropriated to the board to
pay expenses incurred in processing applications for route
permits in accordance with sections 116C.51 to 116C.69 and in
the event the expenses are less than the fee paid, to refund the
excess to the applicant.