1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to energy; authorizing the construction and routing of certain pipelines.
1.3 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.4 	Section 1. PIPELINE; CERTIFICATE OF NEED; ROUTE PERMIT.
 1.5 	Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, sections 216B.243, subdivision 2, and 216G.02,  
1.6 	subdivision 2, and Minnesota Rules, chapters 7852 and 7853, the Public Utilities Commission 
1.7 	shall issue a certificate of need and a route permit to an applicant who filed applications 
1.8 	with the Public Utilities Commission in 2015 to construct a pipeline that crosses an 
1.9 	international border before entering Minnesota. The route permit issued by the commission 
1.10 	must be for the applicant's preferred route, as described in its route permit application, from 
1.11 	which the commission may deviate incrementally only if it determines that it is in the public 
1.12 	interest to do so in order to mitigate environmental impacts on specific local resources as 
1.13 	suggested by one or more of the parties to the route permit proceeding. Commission 
1.14 	proceedings related to the application for a certificate of need are terminated as of the 
1.15 	effective date of this act. The commission must issue a route permit consistent with this 
1.16 	section no later than December 31, 2018.

1.17 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.