1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to energy; conservation; amending the amount the Department of 
1.3 	Commerce may assess utilities; allocating incremental revenue to develop and 
1.4 	maintain a statewide uniform energy conservation reporting system for utilities;
1.5 	amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216B.241, subdivision 1d.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216B.241, subdivision 1d, is amended to 
1.8 	read:
1.9 		Subd. 1d.Technical assistance. (a) The commissioner shall evaluate energy 
1.10 	conservation improvement programs on the basis of cost-effectiveness and the reliability 
1.11 	of the technologies employed. The commissioner shall, by order, establish, maintain, and 
1.12 	update energy-savings assumptions that. The assumptions established by the order or 
1.13 	assumptions established by another source and approved by the commissioner must be 
1.14 	used when filing energy conservation improvement programs. The commissioner shall 
1.15 	establish an inventory of the most effective energy conservation programs, techniques, 
1.16 	and technologies, and encourage all Minnesota utilities to implement them, where 
1.17 	appropriate, in their service territories. The commissioner shall describe these programs 
1.18 	in sufficient detail to provide a utility reasonable guidance concerning implementation. 
1.19 	The commissioner shall prioritize the opportunities in order of potential energy savings 
1.20 	and in order of cost-effectiveness. The commissioner may contract with a third party to 
1.21 	carry out any of the commissioner's duties under this subdivision, and to obtain technical 
1.22 	assistance to evaluate the effectiveness of any conservation improvement program. The 
1.23 	commissioner may assess up to $800,000 annually until June 30, 2009, and $450,000
1.24 	 $980,000 annually thereafter for the purposes of this subdivision. The assessments must 
1.25 	be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the energy and conservation account 
2.1 	created under subdivision 2a. An assessment made under this subdivision is not subject to 
2.2 	the cap on assessments provided by section 216B.62, or any other law.
2.3 	(b) Of the assessment authorized under paragraph (a), the commissioner may expend 
2.4 	up to $500,000 annually for the purpose of developing, operating, maintaining, and 
2.5 	providing technical support for a uniform electronic data reporting and tracking system 
2.6 	available to all utilities subject to this section, in order to enable accurate measurement 
2.7 	of the cost and energy savings of the energy conservation improvements required by 
2.8 	this section.

2.9 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment 
2.10 	and applies to assessments made after June 30, 2014.