2006 Minnesota Statutes

216C.19 ENERGY CONSERVATION.
    Subdivision 1. Roadway lighting; rules. After consultation with the commissioner and
the commissioner of public safety, the commissioner of transportation shall adopt rules under
chapter 14 establishing minimum energy efficiency standards for street, highway, and parking lot
lighting. The standards must be consistent with overall protection of the public health, safety, and
welfare. No new highway, street, or parking lot lighting may be installed in violation of these
rules. Existing lighting equipment, excluding roadway sign lighting, with lamps with initial
efficiencies less than 70 lumens per watt must be replaced when worn out with light sources using
lamps with initial efficiencies of at least 70 lumens per watt.
    Subd. 2. Outdoor display lighting. Beginning July 1, 1980, the use of outdoor display
lighting shall be limited as provided in subdivision 3. For purposes of this section, "outdoor
display lighting" shall include building facade lighting, other decorative lighting, and all
billboards and advertising signs except those which identify a commercial establishment which is
open for business at that hour.
    Subd. 3. Rules on outdoor lighting. The commissioner shall adopt rules, pursuant to chapter
14, setting standards covering permissible hours of operation, quantity, and efficiency of outdoor
display lighting and defining "outdoor display lighting."
    Subd. 4. Rules on promotional practices. The commissioner may investigate promotional
practices by energy suppliers and, pursuant to chapter 14, may promulgate rules to limit such
practices in order to reduce the rate of growth of energy demand.
    Subd. 5. Natural gas outdoor lighting prohibited; exception. After July 1, 1974, no new
natural gas outdoor lighting shall be installed in the state. However, the installation and use of
natural gas outdoor lighting that is equipped with either an automatic daytime shutoff device or is
otherwise capable of being switched on and off, is permitted.
    Subd. 6. Variance for decorative gas lamp. Beginning April 20, 1977, no person shall use a
decorative gas lamp in Minnesota except as provided in this subdivision and in subdivisions 5 and
7. The commissioner shall grant a permanent variance allowing a homeowner who received a
variance in 1977 to operate a decorative gas lamp or lamps at the homeowner's principal place of
residence. The variance shall be valid for the life of the recipient. The commissioner shall not
issue a variance to any other person to use a decorative gas lamp or lamps.
    Subd. 7. Exemption for old gas lamp. Gas lamps installed prior to April 20, 1977, by or at
the request of a municipality, on a public street or right-of-way, may be used as street lighting.
    Subd. 8.[Repealed, 2000 c 297 s 5]
    Subd. 9. Energy use by state; rules. The commissioner shall conduct studies and make
recommendations concerning the purchase and use by the state and its political subdivisions
of supplies, motor vehicles and equipment having a significant impact on energy use in order
to determine the potential for energy conservation. The commissioner may adopt rules pursuant
to chapter 14 to insure that energy use and conservation will be considered in state purchasing
and, where appropriate, to require certain minimum energy efficiency standards in purchased
products and equipment. No state purchasing of equipment or material use shall occur that is
not in conformity with these rules.
    Subd. 10.[Repealed, 1996 c 310 s 1]
    Subd. 11.[Repealed, 1996 c 310 s 1]
    Subd. 12.[Repealed, 1996 c 310 s 1]
    Subd. 13. New room air conditioner. No new room air conditioner shall be sold or installed
or transported for resale into Minnesota unless it has an energy efficiency ratio equal to or greater
than the values required by applicable federal laws and the United States Department of Energy
regulations codified in Code of Federal Regulations, title 10, including applicable interpretations
of the regulations issued by that department.
    Subd. 14. Certain gas-powered equipment prohibited. No new residential
(1) forced-air-type central furnace;
(2) cooking appliance manufactured with an electrical supply cord; or
(3) clothes-drying equipment,
that is designed to burn natural gas shall be sold or installed in Minnesota, unless it meets or
exceeds the efficiency standards required by applicable federal laws and the United States
Department of Energy regulations codified in Code of Federal Regulations, title 10, including
applicable interpretations of the regulations issued by that department.
    Subd. 15. Fluorescent lamp ballast. No person may sell or install a fluorescent lamp ballast
in this state that does not comply with the energy efficiency standards for fluorescent lamp ballasts
adopted by the commissioner under subdivision 8.
    Subd. 16. Lamp. No new lamp may be sold in Minnesota unless it meets or exceeds
the minimum efficiency standards required by applicable federal laws and the United States
Department of Energy regulations codified in Code of Federal Regulations, title 10, including
applicable interpretations of the regulations issued by that department.
    Subd. 17. Motor. No new motor covered by this subdivision, excluding those sold as part
of an appliance, may be sold or installed in Minnesota unless its nominal efficiency meets or
exceeds the values adopted under subdivision 8.
    Subd. 18. Commercial heating, air conditioning, and ventilating equipment. (a) This
subdivision applies to electrically operated unitary and packaged terminal air conditioners and
heat pumps, electrically operated water-chilling packages, gas- and oil-fired boilers, and warm
air furnaces and combination warm air furnaces and air conditioning units installed in buildings
housing commercial or industrial operations.
(b) No commercial heating, air conditioning, or ventilating equipment covered by this
subdivision may be sold or installed in Minnesota unless it meets or exceeds the minimum
performance standards established by ASHRAE standard 90.1.
    Subd. 19. Showerhead; faucet. No new showerhead, kitchen faucet or kitchen replacement
aerator, or lavatory faucet or lavatory replacement aerator may be sold or installed in Minnesota
unless it meets or exceeds the efficiency standards required by applicable federal laws and the
United States Department of Energy regulations codified in Code of Federal Regulations, title 10,
including applicable interpretations of the regulations issued by that department.
    Subd. 20. Conservation rules. The commissioner shall adopt rules to implement
subdivisions 13 and 16 to 19, including rules governing testing of products covered by those
sections. The rules must make allowance for wholesalers, distributors, or retailers who have
inventory or stock which was acquired prior to July 1, 1993. The rules must consider appropriate
efficiency requirements for motors used infrequently in agricultural and other applications.
History: 1974 c 307 s 12; 1975 c 65 s 1; 1976 c 166 s 7; 1976 c 333 s 5-7; 1977 c 381 s
11-14; Ex1979 c 2 s 20-24; 1980 c 579 s 8; 1981 c 85 s 3,4; 1981 c 356 s 139-145,248; 1981 c
365 s 9; 1982 c 424 s 130; 1982 c 563 s 9; 1984 c 544 s 89; 1984 c 654 art 2 s 101; 1985 c 50 s
1; 1985 c 248 s 70; 1987 c 312 art 1 s 10 subd 1; 1988 c 617 s 3,4; 1992 c 597 s 4-10; 1995 c
161 s 1-5; 1997 c 191 art 1 s 8; 1998 c 350 s 4; 1999 c 135 s 5