Relating to energy ARTICLE 1 � NUCLEAR ENERGY PROVISIONS Excluding independent spent fuel storage installations located on +nuclear generation facility sites for dry cask storage of spent nuclear fuel +generated by the facilities from the definition of radioactive waste management+ facility under environmental quality board (EQB) provisions; granting +authorization to the public utility owning the Prairie Island nuclear power generating+ plant for sufficient dry cask spent fuel storage capacity subject to certain +federal license duration limits; subjecting future additional dry cask +storage or the establishment of an independent spent fuel storage facility to public+ utilities commission (PUC) certificate of need requirements, providing for +legislative review and specifying certain spent nuclear fuel management +requirements and storage limits; applying certain water standards to and certain +environmental review and protection requirements on independent spent fuel storage installations; providing for a settlement of certain disputes with +the Mdewakanton Dakota tribal council at Prairie Island; requiring +certificates of need for additional spent nuclear fuel storage to address the impacts+ of continued operations; requiring the commissioner of health to review +data collected and report to the legislature by a certain date on the +necessity of a further study of the health of persons living near nuclear facilities+ funded by the owner of the Prairie Island nuclear facilityARTICLE 2 � RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENTIncreasing the amount of money required to be transferred annually by+ the public utility owning the Prairie Island nuclear generating plant to +a renewable development account and to annually pay a certain amount of+ money following the closing of the plant under certain conditions; +requiring annual allocation of a certain amount of money from the renewable +development account for renewable energy production incentives, providing for use, +requiring the department of commerce to determine project eligibility; stating a +hydrogen energy economy goal; modifying and expanding certain renewable energy objectives, specifying certain biomass energy generation requirements+ and certain additional duties of the public utilities commission, +authorizing electric utilities to satisfy a certain percentage of overall +objectives from a clean energy technology, defining clean energy technology; +authorizing the PUC to establish a program for tradable credits for electricity generated+ by eligible energy technologies; authorizing the counting toward utility objectives of technology based on fuel combustion under certain +conditions and specifying certain wind energy production requirements, certain +larger wind energy conversion systems not to qualify as eligible energy +technology for renewable energy objectives purposes; requiring public utilities +owning nuclear power facilities to support the university of Minnesota initiative +for renewable energy and the environment, specifying certain research +requirements and a sunset; clarifying and making permanent certain energy +conservation improvements requirements, defining eligible renewable energy sources+ and biomass; increasing the maximum number of megawatts authorized to be +provided through the use of poultry litter and by the St. Paul district +heating and cooling system cogeneration facility through the use of wood waste; +requiring the PUC to review projects selected to satisfy a portion of the +biomass mandate for status purposes, requiring denial of new requests for contract +extensions or mandate reduction under certain conditions; requiring entities +under the state transmission plan to determine necessary upgrades to support +development of renewable resources for inclusion in the biennial report; +modifying the definition of qualified wind energy conversion facility relating to +ownership for renewable energy production incentive eligibility purposes; +extending the eligibility of certain qualified facilities for incentive payments, +clarifying the payment period, modifying certain payment limits and expanding +eligibility to certain larger wind energy conversion systems and on farm biogas +recovery facilities; prescribing an eligibility process, requiring the +commissioner of commerce to determine eligibility and to approve or deny applications+ within a certain number of days of receipt, imposing a time limit for +operation of approved projects; requiring reduction of the biomass mandate for +facilities using short rotation woody crops as a primary fuel source under +certain conditions; modifying certain analysis requirements of the +legislative electric energy task force, requiring a study of issues relating to the +transportation of spent nuclear fuel to interim or permanent repositories outside +the state and to biennially report to the legislature on recommendations for +legislative action to ensure development and implementation of an electric energy+ policy; extending the expiration date of the task force and providing for +increased funding; requiring reduction of the biomass mandate for facilities +using short rotation woody crops as a primary fuel source under certain +conditions; authorizing the PUC to review the appropriateness of the transfer of +the administration of the renewable development account to an independent administrator selected by the commissioner of commerce, authorizing +approval under certain public interest consistency conditions; providing for +the distribution of money from the renewable development account to the +university of Minnesota for hydrogen economy research projects, specifying +certain research focus requirements; requiring the department of trade and +economic development to develop a program to promote and encourage the +development and attraction of businesses engaged in the biocatalysis of agricultural +and forestry plant products for the production of hydrogen from renewable+ energy sources, requiring a DTED report to the legislature on changes or +additional funding needed; requiring the commissioner in consultation with the commissioners of commerce and revenue to develop a plan to designate +a certain number of energy innovation zones to encourage the development of +fuel cells, hydrogen infrastructure and other energy efficiency and renewable +energy technologies, specifying certain consideration requirements; +requiring the department of commerce in cooperation with DTED to develop and issue +a request for proposals for the construction of a hydrogen to electricity +demonstration project with certain specified components; requiring the PUC to order+ a certain electric utility to contract with a firm selected by the commissioner+ of commerce for an independent study of the impacts of increasing wind +capacity requiring incorporation of the study into the next resource plan of +the utility ARTICLE 3 � OTHER PROVISIONSProhibiting the disconnection of electric service during periods of +extremely hot weather; modifying the energy conservation improvement plan +overview filing requirement for certain smaller municipal utilities and temporarily +authorizing spending to refurbish existing district heating or cooling systems; +authorizing township agreements with natural gas public utilities to provide +services, providing for continuation of the services after annexation; +modifying certain analysis requirements of the legislative electric energy task force, +requiring a study of issues relating to the transportation of spent nuclear +fuel to interim or permanent repositories outside the state and to biennially+ report to the legislature on recommendations for legislative action to ensure +development and implementation of an electric energy policy; extending the +expiration date of the task force and providing for increased funding; reducing the +maximum amount allowed to be paid by the department of commerce for energy +conservation administrative costs, authorizing utility assessments for the +recovery of certain costs and modifying use of the appropriation for the costs, +authorizing use for implementation of the energy conservation benchmarks for +public buildings; specifying certain qualifying projects for emissions +reduction rider approval purposes; requiring the commissioner of commerce to contract+ with the legislative auditor or an independent third party to evaluate the +conservation improvement program; providing legislative approval of consumptive +use of water in connection with gas fueled combined cycle electric generating +facilities in the cities of Rosemount and Mankato upon approval of the permits by +the commissioner of natural resources (DNR); repealing the requirement +for development of an alternative spent nuclear fuel storage site and +certain radioactive waste management analysis and reporting requirements of +the legislative electric energy task force ARTICLE 4 � INNOVATIVE ENERGY PROJECT Defining and regulating certain innovative energy projects (Ch. 11, Special Session 2003)