E 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 specifying certain additional duties of the public utilities +commission; 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 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 (ja)