1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to utilities; modifying conservation 
  1.3             improvement program provisions; providing for 
  1.4             development of more efficient delivery system of 
  1.5             conservation improvement program services; amending 
  1.6             Minnesota Statutes 1998, sections 216B.16, subdivision 
  1.7             6b; and 216B.241, subdivisions 1, 1a, 1b, 2, 2a, and 
  1.8             2b. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 216B.16, 
  1.11  subdivision 6b, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subd. 6b.  [ENERGY CONSERVATION IMPROVEMENT.] (a) Except as 
  1.13  otherwise provided in this subdivision, all investments and 
  1.14  expenses of a public utility as defined in section 216B.241, 
  1.15  subdivision 1, paragraph (d) (e), incurred in connection with 
  1.16  energy conservation improvements shall be recognized and 
  1.17  included by the commission in the determination of just and 
  1.18  reasonable rates as if the investments and expenses were 
  1.19  directly made or incurred by the utility in furnishing utility 
  1.20  service. 
  1.21     (b) After December 31, 1999, investments and expenses for 
  1.22  energy conservation improvements shall not be included by the 
  1.23  commission in the determination of just and reasonable electric 
  1.24  and gas rates for retail electric and gas service provided to 
  1.25  large electric customer facilities, except as provided in 
  1.26  section 216B.241, subdivision 1a, paragraph (e).  However, no 
  1.27  public utility shall be prevented from recovering the full cost 
  2.1   of energy conservation improvements from all customers that were 
  2.2   made on or before December 31, 1999, in compliance with the 
  2.3   requirements of section 216B.241.  
  2.4      (c) The commission may permit a public utility to file rate 
  2.5   schedules providing for annual recovery of the costs of energy 
  2.6   conservation improvements.  These rate schedules may be 
  2.7   applicable to less than all the customers in a class of retail 
  2.8   customers if necessary to reflect the differing minimum spending 
  2.9   requirements of section 216B.241, subdivision 1a.  After 
  2.10  December 31, 1999, the commission shall allow a public utility, 
  2.11  without requiring a general rate filing under this section, to 
  2.12  reduce the electric and gas rates applicable to large electric 
  2.13  customer facilities by an amount that reflects the elimination 
  2.14  of energy conservation improvement investments or expenditures 
  2.15  for those facilities required on or before December 31, 1999.  
  2.16  In the event that the commission has set electric or gas rates 
  2.17  based on the use of an accounting methodology that results in 
  2.18  the cost of conservation improvements being recovered from 
  2.19  utility customers over a period of years, the rate reduction may 
  2.20  occur in a series of steps to coincide with the recovery of 
  2.21  balances due to the utility for conservation improvements made 
  2.22  by the utility on or before December 31, 1999.  
  2.23     (d) After December 31, 1999, the owner of a large electric 
  2.24  customer facility may elect to agree with its utility to 
  2.25  continue to have the public utility make energy conservation 
  2.26  improvement investments or expenditures on its behalf at the 
  2.27  large electric customer facility.  However, the utility shall be 
  2.28  entitled to apply and collect a surcharge to the billings for 
  2.29  retail electric and gas service provided to this large electric 
  2.30  customer facility sufficient to recoup, over a period of not 
  2.31  more than three years, the conservation improvement investments 
  2.32  or expenditures plus the public utility's approved rate of 
  2.33  return. 
  2.34     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 216B.241, 
  2.35  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.36     Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITIONS.] For purposes of this section 
  3.1   and section 216B.16, subdivision 6b, the terms defined in this 
  3.2   subdivision have the meanings given them.  
  3.3      (a) "Commission" means the public utilities commission. 
  3.4      (b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of public service.
  3.5      (c) "Customer facility" means all buildings, structures, 
  3.6   equipment, and installations at a single site. 
  3.7      (d) "Department" means the department of public service. 
  3.8      (d) (e) "Energy conservation improvement" means the 
  3.9   purchase or installation of a device, method, or material, or 
  3.10  project that: 
  3.11     (1) reduces consumption of or increases efficiency in the 
  3.12  use of electricity or natural gas, including, but not limited to:
  3.13     (1) insulation and ventilation;, 
  3.14     (2) storm or thermal doors or windows;, 
  3.15     (3) caulking and weatherstripping;, 
  3.16     (4) furnace efficiency modifications;, 
  3.17     (5) thermostat or lighting controls;, 
  3.18     (6) awnings;, or 
  3.19     (7) systems to turn off or vary the delivery of energy. The 
  3.20  term "energy conservation improvement" includes a device or 
  3.21  method that; 
  3.22     (2) creates, converts, or actively uses energy from 
  3.23  renewable sources such as solar, wind, and biomass, provided 
  3.24  that the device or method conforms with national or state 
  3.25  performance and quality standards whenever applicable; 
  3.26     (3) seeks to provide energy savings through reclamation or 
  3.27  recycling and that is used as part of the infrastructure of an 
  3.28  electric generation, transmission, or distribution system within 
  3.29  the state or a natural gas distribution system within the state; 
  3.30  or 
  3.31     (4) provides research or development of new means of 
  3.32  increasing energy efficiency or conserving energy or research or 
  3.33  development of improvement of existing means of increasing 
  3.34  energy efficiency or conserving energy.  
  3.35     (e) (f) "Investments and expenses of a public utility" 
  3.36  includes the investments and expenses incurred by a public 
  4.1   utility in connection with an energy conservation improvement 
  4.2   including, but not limited to:  
  4.3      (1) the differential in interest cost between the market 
  4.4   rate and the rate charged on a no interest or below market 
  4.5   interest loan made by a public utility to a customer for the 
  4.6   purchase or installation of an energy conservation improvement; 
  4.7      (2) the difference between the utility's cost of purchase 
  4.8   or installation of energy conservation improvements and any 
  4.9   price charged by a public utility to a customer for such 
  4.10  improvements.  
  4.11     (g) "Large electric customer facility" means a customer 
  4.12  facility that imposes a peak electrical demand on an electric 
  4.13  utility's system of not less than 20,000 kilowatts, measured in 
  4.14  the same way as the utility that serves the customer facility 
  4.15  measures electrical demand for billing purposes, and for which 
  4.16  electric services are provided at retail on a single bill by a 
  4.17  utility operating in the state. 
  4.18     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 216B.241, 
  4.19  subdivision 1a, is amended to read: 
  4.20     Subd. 1a.  [INVESTMENT, EXPENDITURE, AND CONTRIBUTION; 
  4.21  REGULATED UTILITIES PUBLIC UTILITY.] (a) For purposes of this 
  4.22  subdivision and subdivision 2, "public utility" has the meaning 
  4.23  given it in section 216B.02, subdivision 4.  Each public utility 
  4.24  shall spend and invest for energy conservation improvements 
  4.25  under this subdivision and subdivision 2 the following amounts: 
  4.26     (1) for a utility that furnishes gas service, .5 0.5 
  4.27  percent of its gross operating revenues from service provided in 
  4.28  the state; 
  4.29     (2) for a utility that furnishes electric service, 1.5 
  4.30  percent of its gross operating revenues from service provided in 
  4.31  the state; and 
  4.32     (3) for a utility that furnishes electric service and that 
  4.33  operates a nuclear-powered electric generating plant within the 
  4.34  state, two percent of its gross operating revenues from service 
  4.35  provided in the state.  For purposes of this paragraph, "gross 
  4.36  operating revenues" does not include gross operating revenues 
  5.1   from electric and gas service provided at retail in the state to 
  5.2   large electric customer facilities. 
  5.3      (b) If the commissioner, after investigation, determines 
  5.4   that a large electric customer facility has the ability to make 
  5.5   cost-effective conservation improvements, the commissioner may 
  5.6   require the owner of the large electric customer facility to 
  5.7   implement cost-effective conservation improvements at the large 
  5.8   electric customer facility at an annual cost of:  (1) not more 
  5.9   than 1.5 percent of the annual electric billings paid for retail 
  5.10  electric service provided to the large electric customer 
  5.11  facility if the facility is served by an electric utility 
  5.12  subject to paragraph (a), clause (2), or not more than 2.0 
  5.13  percent of the annual electric billings paid for retail electric 
  5.14  service provided to the large electric customer facility if the 
  5.15  facility is served by an electric utility subject to paragraph 
  5.16  (a), clause (3); and (2) not more than 0.5 percent of the annual 
  5.17  gas billings paid for retail gas service to the large electric 
  5.18  customer facility if the facility is served by a gas public 
  5.19  utility that is subject to paragraph (a), clause (1).  For 
  5.20  purposes of this paragraph, "cost effective" means that the 
  5.21  total costs of the energy conservation improvement at the large 
  5.22  electric customer facility are projected to be less than the 
  5.23  total costs of the energy and demand savings that would result 
  5.24  from the energy conservation improvement.  For the purpose of 
  5.25  commissioner-instigated investigations under this paragraph, the 
  5.26  owner of any large electric customer facility shall, upon 
  5.27  request, provide to the commissioner information relating to the 
  5.28  energy conservation improvements that have been implemented at 
  5.29  the large electric customer facility and any energy conservation 
  5.30  improvements that have been identified, but not implemented. 
  5.31     (c) The commissioner may require investments or spending 
  5.32  greater than the amounts required under this subdivision for a 
  5.33  public utility whose most recent advance forecast required under 
  5.34  section 216B.2422 or 216C.17 projects a peak demand deficit of 
  5.35  100 megawatts or greater within five years under mid-range 
  5.36  forecast assumptions.  
  6.1      (d) A public utility or owner of a large electric customer 
  6.2   facility may appeal a decision of the commissioner under this 
  6.3   paragraph (b) or (c) to the commission under subdivision 2.  In 
  6.4   reviewing a decision of the commissioner under this paragraph 
  6.5   (b) or (c), the commission shall rescind the decision if it 
  6.6   finds that the required investments or spending will: 
  6.7      (1) not result in cost-effective programs energy 
  6.8   conservation improvements; or 
  6.9      (2) otherwise not be in the public interest. 
  6.10     (e) If the commission finds after notice and an opportunity 
  6.11  for comment that the owner of a large electric customer facility 
  6.12  has failed to make energy conservation improvements required 
  6.13  under this section, the commission shall order the public 
  6.14  utility serving the facility to spend and invest in the required 
  6.15  energy conservation improvements for that large electric 
  6.16  customer facility.  Any expenditures required pursuant to such 
  6.17  an order under this section are recoverable by the public 
  6.18  utility in the electric rates of the large electric energy 
  6.19  facility under section 216B.16.  A public utility may not spend 
  6.20  or invest for energy conservation improvements that directly 
  6.21  benefit a large electric customer facility, except as provided 
  6.22  in this paragraph. 
  6.23     (c) (f) Each utility shall determine what portion of the 
  6.24  amount it sets aside for conservation improvement will be used 
  6.25  for conservation improvements under subdivision 2 and what 
  6.26  portion it will contribute to the energy and conservation 
  6.27  account established in subdivision 2a.  A public utility may 
  6.28  designate that all or a portion of funds contributed to the 
  6.29  account established in subdivision 2a be used by the 
  6.30  commissioner for research and development projects.  
  6.31  Contributions must be remitted to the commissioner of public 
  6.32  service by February 1 of each year.  Nothing in this subdivision 
  6.33  prohibits a public utility from spending or investing for energy 
  6.34  conservation improvement more than required in this subdivision. 
  6.35     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 216B.241, 
  6.36  subdivision 1b, is amended to read: 
  7.1      Subd. 1b.  [CONSERVATION IMPROVEMENTS; COOPERATIVES; 
  7.2   MUNICIPALITIES IMPROVEMENT BY COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION OR 
  7.3   MUNICIPALITY.] (a) This subdivision applies to: 
  7.4      (1) a cooperative electric association that generates and 
  7.5   transmits electricity to associations that provide electricity 
  7.6   at retail including a cooperative electric association not 
  7.7   located in this state that serves associations or others in the 
  7.8   state; 
  7.9      (2) a municipality that provides electric service to retail 
  7.10  customers; and 
  7.11     (3) a municipality with gross operating revenues in excess 
  7.12  of $5,000,000 from sales of natural gas to retail customers.  
  7.13     (b) Each cooperative electric association and municipality 
  7.14  subject to this subdivision shall spend and invest for energy 
  7.15  conservation improvements under this subdivision the following 
  7.16  amounts: 
  7.17     (1) for a municipality, .5 0.5 percent of its gross 
  7.18  operating revenues from the sale of gas and one percent of its 
  7.19  gross operating revenues from the sale of electricity not 
  7.20  purchased from a public utility governed by subdivision 1a or a 
  7.21  cooperative electric association governed by this subdivision, 
  7.22  excluding gross operating revenues from electric and gas service 
  7.23  provided in the state to large electric customer facilities; and 
  7.24     (2) for a cooperative electric association, 1.5 percent of 
  7.25  its gross operating revenues from service provided in the state, 
  7.26  excluding gross operating revenues from service provided in the 
  7.27  state to large electric customer facilities indirectly through a 
  7.28  distribution cooperative electric association. 
  7.29     (c) Each municipality and cooperative association subject 
  7.30  to this subdivision shall identify and implement energy 
  7.31  conservation improvement spending and investments that are 
  7.32  appropriate for the municipality or association, except that a 
  7.33  municipality or association may not spend or invest for energy 
  7.34  conservation improvements that directly benefit a large electric 
  7.35  customer facility.  Each municipality and cooperative electric 
  7.36  association subject to this subdivision may spend and invest 
  8.1   annually up to 15 percent of the total amount required to be 
  8.2   spent and invested on energy conservation improvements under 
  8.3   this subdivision on research and development projects that meet 
  8.4   the definition of energy conservation improvement in subdivision 
  8.5   1 and that are funded directly by the municipality or 
  8.6   cooperative electric association.  Load management may be used 
  8.7   to meet the requirements of this subdivision if it reduces the 
  8.8   demand for or increases the efficiency of electric services.  A 
  8.9   generation and transmission cooperative electric association may 
  8.10  include as spending and investment required under this 
  8.11  subdivision conservation improvement spending and investment by 
  8.12  cooperative electric associations that provide electric service 
  8.13  at retail to consumers and that are served by the generation and 
  8.14  transmission association.  By February 1 of each year, each 
  8.15  municipality or cooperative shall report to the commissioner its 
  8.16  energy conservation improvement spending and investments with a 
  8.17  brief analysis of effectiveness in reducing consumption of 
  8.18  electricity or gas.  The commissioner shall review each report 
  8.19  and make recommendations, where appropriate, to the municipality 
  8.20  or association to increase the effectiveness of conservation 
  8.21  improvement activities.  The commissioner shall also review each 
  8.22  report for whether a portion of the money spent on residential 
  8.23  conservation improvement programs is devoted to programs that 
  8.24  directly address the needs of renters and low-income persons 
  8.25  unless an insufficient number of appropriate programs are 
  8.26  available.  For the purposes of this subdivision and subdivision 
  8.27  2, "low-income low income" means an income of less than 185 
  8.28  percent of the federal poverty level. 
  8.29     (d) As part of its spending for conservation improvement, a 
  8.30  municipality or association may contribute to the energy and 
  8.31  conservation account.  A municipality or association may 
  8.32  designate that all or a portion of funds contributed to the 
  8.33  account be used by the commissioner for research and development 
  8.34  projects.  Any amount contributed must be remitted to the 
  8.35  commissioner of public service by February 1 of each year. 
  8.36     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 216B.241, 
  9.1   subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  9.2      Subd. 2.  [PROGRAMS.] (a) The commissioner may by rule 
  9.3   require public utilities to make investments and expenditures in 
  9.4   energy conservation improvements, explicitly setting forth the 
  9.5   interest rates, prices, and terms under which the improvements 
  9.6   must be offered to the customers.  The required programs must 
  9.7   cover a two-year period.  The commissioner shall require at 
  9.8   least one public utility to establish a pilot program to make 
  9.9   investments in and expenditures for energy from renewable 
  9.10  resources such as solar, wind, or biomass and shall give special 
  9.11  consideration and encouragement to programs that bring about 
  9.12  significant net savings through the use of energy-efficient 
  9.13  lighting.  The commissioner shall evaluate the program on the 
  9.14  basis of cost-effectiveness cost effectiveness and the 
  9.15  reliability of technologies employed. 
  9.16     (b) The rules of the department must provide to the extent 
  9.17  practicable for a free choice, by consumers participating in the 
  9.18  program, of the device, method, or material, or project 
  9.19  constituting the energy conservation improvement and for a free 
  9.20  choice of the seller, installer, or contractor of the energy 
  9.21  conservation improvement,; provided that the device, method, 
  9.22  material, or project seller, installer, or contractor is duly 
  9.23  licensed, certified, approved, or qualified, including under the 
  9.24  residential conservation services program, where if applicable.  
  9.25     (c) The commissioner may require a utility to make an 
  9.26  energy conservation improvement investment or expenditure 
  9.27  whenever the commissioner finds that the improvement will result 
  9.28  in energy savings at a total cost to the utility less than the 
  9.29  cost to the utility to produce or purchase an equivalent amount 
  9.30  of new supply of energy.  The commissioner shall nevertheless 
  9.31  ensure that every public utility operate one or more programs 
  9.32  under periodic review by the department.  Load management may be 
  9.33  used to meet the requirements for energy conservation 
  9.34  improvements under this section if it results in a demonstrable 
  9.35  reduction in consumption of energy. 
  9.36     (d) Each public utility subject to subdivision 1a may spend 
 10.1   and invest annually up to 15 percent of the total amount 
 10.2   required to be spent and invested on energy conservation 
 10.3   improvements under this section by the utility on research and 
 10.4   development projects that meet the definition of energy 
 10.5   conservation improvement in subdivision 1 and that are funded 
 10.6   directly by the public utility.  A public utility that spends 
 10.7   and invests funds on research and development projects in 
 10.8   accordance with this section to meet energy conservation 
 10.9   improvement spending requirements does not need the approval of 
 10.10  the commissioner or commission to spend or invest in the 
 10.11  research and development projects.  Each public utility shall 
 10.12  report to the commissioner by April 1 of each year on the nature 
 10.13  of any research and development projects it funded under this 
 10.14  section during the previous 12 months. 
 10.15     (e) The commissioner shall consider and may require a 
 10.16  utility to undertake a program suggested by an outside source, 
 10.17  including a political subdivision or a nonprofit or community 
 10.18  organization. 
 10.19     (f) No utility may make an energy conservation improvement 
 10.20  under this section to a building envelope unless: 
 10.21     (1) it is the primary supplier of energy used for either 
 10.22  space heating or cooling in the building; 
 10.23     (2) the commissioner determines that special circumstances, 
 10.24  which that would unduly restrict the availability of 
 10.25  conservation programs, warrant otherwise; or 
 10.26     (3) the utility has been awarded a contract under 
 10.27  subdivision 2a. 
 10.28     (g) The commissioner shall ensure that a portion of the 
 10.29  money spent on residential conservation improvement programs is 
 10.30  devoted to programs that directly address the needs of renters 
 10.31  and low-income persons unless an insufficient number of 
 10.32  appropriate programs are available. 
 10.33     (h) A utility, a political subdivision, or a nonprofit or 
 10.34  community organization that has suggested a program, the 
 10.35  attorney general acting on behalf of consumers and small 
 10.36  business interests, or a utility customer that has suggested a 
 11.1   program and is not represented by the attorney general under 
 11.2   section 8.33 may petition the commission to modify or revoke a 
 11.3   department decision under this section, and the commission may 
 11.4   do so if it determines that the program is not cost-effective 
 11.5   cost effective, does not adequately address the residential 
 11.6   conservation improvement needs of low-income persons, has a 
 11.7   long-range negative effect on one or more classes of customers, 
 11.8   or is otherwise not in the public interest.  The person 
 11.9   petitioning for commission review has the burden of proof.  The 
 11.10  commission shall reject a petition that, on its face, fails to 
 11.11  make a reasonable argument that a program is not in the public 
 11.12  interest. 
 11.13     Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 216B.241, 
 11.14  subdivision 2a, is amended to read: 
 11.15     Subd. 2a.  [ENERGY AND CONSERVATION ACCOUNT.] The 
 11.16  commissioner must deposit money contributed under subdivisions 
 11.17  1a and 1b in the energy and conservation account in the general 
 11.18  fund.  Money in the account is appropriated to the department 
 11.19  for programs designed to meet the energy conservation needs of 
 11.20  low-income persons and to make energy conservation improvements 
 11.21  in areas not adequately served under subdivision 2, including 
 11.22  research and development projects included in the definition of 
 11.23  energy conservation improvement in subdivision 1.  Money in the 
 11.24  account contributed by a utility and designated by the utility 
 11.25  for use on research and development projects must be spent by 
 11.26  the commissioner for that purpose.  Interest on money in the 
 11.27  account accrues to the account.  Using information collected 
 11.28  under section 216C.02, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), the 
 11.29  commissioner must, to the extent possible, allocate enough money 
 11.30  to programs for low-income persons to assure that their needs 
 11.31  are being adequately addressed.  The commissioner must request 
 11.32  the commissioner of finance to transfer money from the account 
 11.33  to the commissioner of children, families, and learning for an 
 11.34  energy conservation program for low-income persons.  In 
 11.35  establishing programs, the commissioner must consult political 
 11.36  subdivisions and nonprofit and community organizations, 
 12.1   especially organizations engaged in providing energy and 
 12.2   weatherization assistance to low-income persons.  At least one 
 12.3   program must address the need for energy conservation 
 12.4   improvements in areas in which a high percentage of residents 
 12.5   use fuel oil or propane to fuel their source of home heating.  
 12.6   The commissioner may contract with a political subdivision, a 
 12.7   nonprofit or community organization, a public utility, a 
 12.8   municipality, or a cooperative electric association to implement 
 12.9   its programs.  The commissioner may provide grants to any person 
 12.10  to conduct research and development projects in accordance with 
 12.11  this section. 
 12.12     Sec. 7.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 216B.241, 
 12.13  subdivision 2b, is amended to read: 
 12.14     Subd. 2b.  [RECOVERY OF EXPENSES FOR FEES, TAXES, PERMITS.] 
 12.15  The commission shall allow a utility to recover expenses 
 12.16  resulting from a conservation improvement program required by 
 12.17  the department and contributions to the energy and conservation 
 12.18  account, unless the recovery would be inconsistent with a 
 12.19  financial incentive proposal approved by the commission.  In 
 12.20  addition, a utility may file annually, or the public utilities 
 12.21  commission may require the utility to file, and the commission 
 12.22  may approve, rate schedules containing provisions for the 
 12.23  automatic adjustment of charges for utility service in direct 
 12.24  relation to changes in the expenses of the utility for real and 
 12.25  personal property taxes, fees, and permits, the amounts of which 
 12.26  the utility cannot control.  A public utility is eligible to 
 12.27  file for adjustment for real and personal property taxes, fees, 
 12.28  and permits under this subdivision only if, in the year previous 
 12.29  to the year in which it files for adjustment, it has spent or 
 12.30  invested at least 1.75 percent of its gross revenues from 
 12.31  provision of electric service, excluding gross operating 
 12.32  revenues from electric service provided in the state to large 
 12.33  electric customer facilities, and .6 0.6 percent of its gross 
 12.34  revenues from provision of gas service, excluding gross 
 12.35  operating revenues from gas services provided in the state to 
 12.36  large electric customer facilities, for that year for energy 
 13.1   conservation improvements under this section. 
 13.2      Sec. 8.  [REPORT ON ALTERNATIVE STRUCTURE FOR AN ENERGY 
 13.3   CONSERVATION IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY.] 
 13.4      The commissioner of the department of public service shall 
 13.5   consult with representatives from public utilities, cooperative 
 13.6   and municipal utilities, environmental and energy conservation 
 13.7   groups, and state agencies to develop a more efficient delivery 
 13.8   system of conservation improvement program services through the 
 13.9   creation of a quasi-public or nonprofit authority whose purpose 
 13.10  is to facilitate incremental improvements in the conservation 
 13.11  improvement program process and facilitate the development of a 
 13.12  structure compatible with a restructured energy industry.  The 
 13.13  commissioner shall report to the chairs of the house and senate 
 13.14  committees and subcommittees with jurisdiction over energy 
 13.15  utilities by January 15, 2000, on the work and findings of the 
 13.16  department of public service and any recommended changes to 
 13.17  Minnesota Statutes, section 216B.241. 
 13.18     Sec. 9.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
 13.19     Section 3 is effective January 1, 2000.