3E Relating to energy

ARTICLE 1 - UTILITIES

Modifying provisions relating to the petrofund program; allowing the petroleum tank release compensation board to recover expenses incurred by the pollution control agency (PCA) in taking corrective actions; requiring the board to reimburse qualified persons for replacing PVC fill piping with metal piping at residential locations under certain conditions, limit; clarifying heating oil vendors residential spill nonresponsibility under certain conditions; requiring certain entities to provide a property owner with a copy of the appraisal before presenting a petition to acquire property; modifying provisions relating to power transmission lines, renewable energy obligations and related activities and costs, modifying certain duties of the public utilities commission (PUC) relating to transmission cost adjustments for allowing the utility to recover charges incurred by the utility, expanding certain power purchase contract provisions to provide storage facilities for certain renewable energy generation facilities, modifying cost recovery requirements for owned renewable facilities, exempting wind energy conversion systems and solar electric generation facilities from certificate of need requirements under certain conditions; authorizing utilities to include the installation of qualifying solar projects in conservation plan programs, permitting solar energy project cost effectiveness determination by standards different from other energy conservation improvements under certain conditions, including certain qualifying solar energy projects in distributed energy resources generation projects, defining certain terms relating to solar energy, establishing a solar rating and certification laboratory, requiring report to the legislature by a certain date; modifying the definition of farm grown closed loop biomass to include herbaceous crops, trees, agricultural waste and aquatic plant matter used to generate electricity; changing the name of legislative electric energy task force to the legislative energy commission, modifying and clarifying commission membership, powers and duties, authorizing the commission to establish subcommittees, requiring state agencies data upon request, specifying assessment and appropriation requirements by the commissioner of commerce for the operation of the commission; requiring an applicant to provide a project notice to local governments within a proposed route for a high voltage transmission line within a certain time period and authorizing local governments to request an applicant to hold a preapplication consultation meeting; providing size election requirements an owner must meet for certain wind energy conversion systems to be considered a small wind energy conversion system, specifying certain department of natural resources (DNR) negotiation requirements; establishing the wind energy conversion system (WECS) aggregation program to create a clearinghouse to coordinate and arrange umbrella sales arrangements for groups, farmstead property owners and farmer cooperative associations, community based energy project developers, school districts and political subdivisions to aggregate small volume purchases, specifying responsibilities, requiring the commissioner of commerce to report to the legislature by a certain date, requiring assessment for annual costs of the program and appropriating money to the commissioner for a grant to an entity; providing for a coordinated process to create a nonexclusive, regular and mandated process for state development of policies to attain certain greenhouse gas reduction goals, requiring the commissioners of commerce and pollution control agency (PCA) to report to the legislature the most recent and best available evidence identifying reductions, specifying certain reduction plan principles; requiring gas manufacturers to report to the pollution control agency (PCA) on the total amount of high GWP (global warning potential) greenhouse gas sold in the state, defining certain terms, requiring disclosure of leakage rates of air conditioners in motor vehicles and specifying certain posting requirements, providing for enforcement, requiring a report to the legislature by a certain date; regulating and modifying certain property rights relating to wind energy easements; requiring the commissioner of commerce to convene a size election stakeholder group, specifying certain duties and membership requirements, requiring report to the legislature by a certain date; requiring the commissioner to contract with the university of Minnesota for a study on the impact of legislation enacted in certain states requiring franchises for video services to be issued by a state agency and requiring report to the legislature; requiring the commissioner to contract with a nonprofit organization to develop geographical information system (GIS) maps displaying levels of broadband service and capability statewide, specifying mapping and data use requirements, defining technology or technologies; requiring the commissioner to convene a work group to mediate differences concerning the termination of property interests relating to wind energy systems development, requiring report to the legislature by a certain date; appropriating money to the commissioner for the broadband mapping project and the state video franchising study; authorizing the director of the legislative coordinating commission to expend money for use by the legislative energy commission; specifying certain instructions to the revisor of statutes; repealing petroleum tank release cleanup (petrofund) reimbursement to retail locations and transport vehicles

ARTICLE 2 - OUTDOOR LIGHTING

Providing standards for state funded outdoor lighting fixtures; setting conditions on installation and replacement of outdoor lighting fixtures and specifying exemptions from the requirements
(Ch. 296, 2008)