2E Relating to energy

ARTICLE 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS

"Next Generation Energy Act of 2007"; specifying state energy policy goals and requiring increased reliance on energy efficiency and renewable energy alternatives and fossil fuel use reduction

ARTICLE 2 - ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONVERSATION

Requiring public utilities filing for rate changes to reference generation and
transmission cooperative energy conservation improvement plans; excluding energy conservation improvements investments and expenses from large energy facilities just and reasonable gas rates; requiring the public utilities commission (PUC) to allow public utilities to reduce the gas rate applicable to large energy facilities; allowing the PUC to approve electric utility petitions for rate schedules to recover electric utility infrastructure costs (EUIC), specifying filing requirements; establishing a state energy conservation policy goal; modifying energy conservation improvement provisions, defining certain terms and modifying certain definitions; authorizing the commissioner of commerce to rescind exemptions on basis of lack of reasonable effort to identify energy
conservation improvements and removing the provision for utility determination of conservation improvement set aside; modifying the definition of certain municipal providers; prohibiting municipalities and associations from spending for energy conservation improvements directly benefiting large energy facilities; requiring municipalities and cooperatives to file energy efficiency and conservation improvement plans and requiring commissioner plans approval; removing certain evaluation; commissioner review and municipality contribution provisions, authorizing district heating or cooling systems (HVAC) expenditures to considered load management activities, requiring utilities and associations to have certain annual energy savings goals; requiring the commissioner to adopt a filing schedule designed to have all utilities and associations operating under an energy savings plan by a certain year; allowing utility and associations adjustment requests; clarifying energy savings goals and cost effectiveness; requiring the commissioner to make public annual energy savings and estimated carbon dioxide reductions achieved by the conservation improvement program; providing for commissioner technical assistance, applied research and development grants and facilities energy efficiency; removing special consideration for programs using energy efficient lighting; modifying commissioner responsibilities; requiring the PUC to allow cooperative electric associations expenses recovery; requiring PUC performance incentives adjustment; requiring commissioner assurance of low income programs offerings; requiring the PUC to establish criteria and standards for decoupling, requiring the PUC to allow rate regulated pilot programs to assess rate decoupling merits; requiring the commissioner of commerce in coordination with other state agencies, the chancellor of the Minnesota state colleges and universities (MnSCU) and the president of the university of Minnesota to identify policy options, barriers and economic benefits and cost for state government operations to achieve savings goals and the resulting carbon emission reductions, requiring a report to the legislature by a certain date; specifying instructions to the revisor of statutes

ARTICLE 3 - MISCELLANEOUS

Requiring school district boards to provide copies of guaranteed energy savings contracts to the commissioner of commerce; clarifying the Manitoba hydro provisions modification; requiring the commissioner of commerce in coordination with certain other state agency commissioners; modifying commissioner energy audit program requirements; requiring municipalities entering into guaranteed energy savings contracts to provide a copy to the commissioner of commerce; requiring landlords to make premises reasonably energy efficient by installing weatherstripping, caulking, storm windows and storm doors; requiring the legislative energy task force to conduct an analysis of the environmental costs of constructing a nuclear powered electric generating plant, requiring a report to the legislature by a certain date; repealing provisions relating to energy audits, energy conservation in existing residences and certain remedies for health and safety violations and certain rules

ARTICLE 4 - C-BED AND RELATED ISSUES

Modifying provisions relating to community based energy development (C-BED) projects; modifying the community based energy development tariff to reflect renewable energy projects; modifying certain definitions; modifying the tariff rate; updating C-BED project priorities; requiring municipal power agencies or generation and transmission cooperatives to provide certain notice to member distribution utilities under certain conditions; authorizing municipal power agencies and cooperatives to offer members a certain community energy partnership opportunity; authorizing utilities to petition the PUC to approve rate schedules providing for automatic adjustment of certain cost recovery charges; requiring the PUC to establish a uniform policy to curtail payments for
wind and solar energy; restricting utility acquisition of resources provisions for utilities owning and operating generation facilities to fulfill renewable energy objectives; moving the position of reliability administrator from the PUC to the department of commerce and transferring responsibilities to the department; providing for wind energy conversion systems size determination for purpose of jurisdictional siting authority; authorizing county boards to assume certain large wind energy conversion system (LWECS) permit applications processing authorizing county boards to assume certain large wind energy conversion system (LWECS) permit applications processing; authorizing counties to adopt standards for LWECS more stringent than standards in public utilities commission (PUC) rules; providing for wind easement termination under certain conditions; requiring the reliability administrator to conduct an engineering assessment of state electricity resource needs through 2025 with a focus on baseload resources; requiring renewable energy utilities to participate in conducting a two phase study of potential for dispersed generation projects, specifying study requirements, requiring technical review committee appointment; requiring the legislative electric energy task force to study the regulation of easements, leases and other agreements to acquire an interest in real property for the purpose of wind development and report to the legislature by a certain date; requiring the legislative electric energy task forces to study the need for state regulation of easements, leases and other agreements to acquire an interest in real property for wind energy development; requiring the legislative electric energy task force to oversee and appoint an advisory task force on C-BED, sunset provision; transferring certain responsibilities of the PUC to the reliability administrator; requiring the reliability administrator to conduct a study of need for and potential authority of a new state agency to plan, finance, construct, own and maintain electric transmission lines within and outside the state; requiring the reliability administrator to conduct a study identifying administrative procedures ensuring efficient and coordinated action for interconnecting dispersed generation projects to certain locations, requiring a report to the legislature by a certain date

ARTICLE 5 - GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE; GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

Specifying scope and defining statewide greenhouse gas emissions; providing for a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a certain amount over a certain period of time; requiring the commissioner of commerce in consultation with the commissioners of the pollution control agency (PCA), the housing finance agency (HFA) and the department of natural resources (DNR), agriculture, employment and economic development (DEED) and transportation (DOT) and the chair of the metropolitan council to submit a climate change action plan to the legislature by a certain date, providing for a stakeholder process; specifying general elements and specific plan requirements, requiring the state to develop a regional approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and requiring the commissioner of commerce to report to the legislature by a certain date; defining new large energy facility and statewide power sector carbon dioxide emissions; prohibiting long term increased emissions from power plants, specifying exceptions; providing for enforcement; requiring the PUC to establish an estimate of the likely range of costs of future carbon dioxide regulation on electricity generation

ARTICLE 6 - RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARDS

Modifying provisions relating to technology based on fuel combustion; requiring the PUC to deposit financial penalties in the energy and conservation account
(Ch. 136, 2007)