1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to transportation; motor vehicles; creating a Biomethane Task Force; 
1.3 	requiring a report.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. BIOMETHANE TASK FORCE.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Definition. For the purposes of this section, "biomethane" has the 
1.7 	meaning given in Minnesota Statutes, section 216B.241, subdivision 5b, paragraph (b).
1.8 		Subd. 2.Establishment; membership. The Biomethane Task Force is established. 
1.9 	The task force shall consist of 18 members as follows:
1.10 	(1) one representative from the investor-owned utility with the greatest number of 
1.11 	customers in Minnesota;
1.12 	(2) one representative each from the Department of Commerce, the Department of 
1.13 	Transportation, the Department of Agriculture, and the Pollution Control Agency;
1.14 	(3) the director of the Travel Management Division of the Department of 
1.15 	Administration, or the director's designee;
1.16 	(4) one representative from the University of Minnesota Department of Bioproducts 
1.17 	and Biosystems Engineering;
1.18 	(5) two representatives from companies whose business is biomethane project 
1.19 	development. The companies should be either Minnesota-based or represented by a 
1.20 	Minnesota representative if a national or international company;
1.21 	(6) one representative from a nongovernmental organization with biomethane 
1.22 	expertise;
1.23 	(7) one representative from a nongovernmental organization with transportation 
1.24 	policy expertise;
2.1 	(8) one representative of a natural gas pipeline operator;
2.2 	(9) one representative of a manufacturer of motor vehicles capable of operating 
2.3 	on biomethane fuel;
2.4 	(10) one representative of a municipal solid waste hauler with experience using 
2.5 	vehicles operating on biomethane as a transportation fuel;
2.6 	(11) one representative of a Minnesota city;
2.7 	(12) one representative of a Minnesota county;
2.8 	(13) one representative of an operator of a large-scale composting facility; and
2.9 	(14) one representative of an energy services company with experience in leveraging 
2.10 	environmental credits for the use of biomethane as a transportation fuel.
2.11 		Subd. 3.Appointment. The chairs of the senate and house of representatives 
2.12 	committees with primary jurisdiction over transportation policy shall jointly appoint 
2.13 	the task force members.
2.14 		Subd. 4.Cochairs. The task force shall have two cochairs, one appointed by each 
2.15 	of the appointing authorities established in subdivision 2.
2.16 		Subd. 5.Charge. (a) The Biomethane Task Force shall identify barriers to the 
2.17 	adoption of biomethane vehicles by state agencies, small and large private fleets, and 
2.18 	Minnesota drivers at-large and develop strategies to be implemented over three-, five-, and 
2.19 	ten-year time frames to overcome those barriers.
2.20 	(b) The task force shall consider and evaluate the data and information presented to 
2.21 	it under subdivision 5 in presenting its findings and recommendations.
2.22 	(c) The task force shall consider the feasibility of a pilot project in which household 
2.23 	organic waste is collected and processed into biomethane for use as motor vehicle fuel. If 
2.24 	the task force finds a pilot project would be technically feasible, it shall identify barriers 
2.25 	to the project, develop recommendations to overcome the barriers, and offer general 
2.26 	recommendations on how the project could be implemented, including but not limited to 
2.27 	whether a public-private partnership model would be appropriate and if so, which entities 
2.28 	or types of entities should be included in the partnership.
2.29 		Subd. 6.Data and analysis. The commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency 
2.30 	shall analyze statewide potential for biomethane generation and suggest appropriate 
2.31 	penetration rate targets for biomethane as transportation fuel for passenger vehicles, small 
2.32 	and large private fleets, and state and municipal government fleets. The commissioner 
2.33 	shall analyze and report to task force members the environmental impacts and benefits of 
2.34 	using biomethane as a transportation fuel option in different types of vehicles, including 
2.35 	but not limited to air emissions from vehicles and potential water quality and other 
2.36 	benefits of biomethane production.
3.1 		Subd. 7.Expenses. Members of the task force are entitled to reimbursement 
3.2 	for expenses under Minnesota Statutes, section 15.059, subdivision 6. Member 
3.3 	reimbursements shall be paid by the commissioner of commerce.
3.4 		Subd. 8.Staff. The state agencies represented on the commission shall provide 
3.5 	staff support.
3.6 		Subd. 9.Report. The task force shall present its findings and recommendations in a 
3.7 	report to the chairs of the senate and house of representatives committees with primary 
3.8 	jurisdiction over transportation and energy policy by December 1, 2016.
3.9 		Subd. 10.Expiration. The task force expires June 30, 2017.

3.10 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.