Legislative Session number- 82

Bill Name: HF0659

hf659 FOURTH ENGROSSMENT Minnesota Energy Security and Reliability Act adopted
requiring an energy plan, providing essential infrastructure, regulating
conservation expenditures, encouraging flexibility, and providing safety
standards. ARTICLE ENERGY PLANNING Section 1: Act title provided. Sec. 2: State
transmission plan established and detailed. Sec. 3: Existing power generation
facility maintenance and upgrade standards adopted. Sec. 4: "Energy security"
defined. Sec. 5: Energy security blueprint required and format provided. Sec. 6:
Energy blueprint contents regulated. Sec. 7: Energy goals provided. Sec. 8:
Blueprint development public participation encouraged and notification of
meetings required. Sec. 9: Regional energy infrastructure planning regions
established and planning groups created. Report required, and "deficiency"
defined. Sec. 10: Reliability administrator position established and
responsibilities provided. Sec. 11: Effective date provided. ARTICLE 2 ESSENTIAL
ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURESection 1: Pollution control agency permit regulations and
criteria modified. Sec. 2: "Utility" definition modified. Sec. 3: Large electric
power facility site and route selection to be determined by the board. Sec. 4:
Interstate route permit regulations clarified. Sec. 5: Site permit regulations
provided. Sec. 6: Route permit regulations provided. Sec. 7: Large electric
power plant construction permit application procedures provided. Sec. 8:
Application notification required. Sec. 9: Environmental impact statement
required to be posted on each propose large electric generating plant or high
voltage transmission line. Sec. 10: Public hearings on applications for site
permits required. Sec. 11: Language clarified. Sec. 12: Application decision
timeframe established. Sec. 13: Final permit decision criteria provided. Sec.
14: Alternative process for review of applications established. Sec. 15:
Emergency permit procedure provided. Sec. 16: Annual public hearing format
modified. Sec. 17: Advisory task force duties to be specified by the board. Sec.
18: Scientific advisory task force project completion time extension prohibited.
Sec. 19: Language updated. Sec. 20: "Large energy facility" definition modified.
Sec. 21: Procedure to modify existing large energy facilities provided. Sec. 22:
Large energy facility certificate of need required and criteria established.
Sec. 23: Public purpose project designation regulations provided. Sec. 24:
Criteria for allowing the construction of a large energy facility modified. Sec.
25: Hearing for application for certificate required and joint hearing allowed.
Sec. 26: Revisor instruction. Sec. 27: Repealer. Sec. 28: Effective date.ARTICLE
3 REGULATORY FLEXIBILITYSection 1: Energy cost adjustment provided and
provisions for fuel price volatility added. Sec. 2: Renewable and high
efficiency energy rate options required. Sec. 3: Conservation investment program
established, related terms defined, and program detailed. Sec. 4: Utilities
allowed to request the commission to approve or reject the resource plan
proposal. Sec. 5: Joint ventures by utilities related terms defined and
regulations detailed. Sec. 6: Exception to section 5 provided. Sec. 7: Exemption
for large energy facilities extended.ARTICLE 4 INTERCONNECTION OF DISTRIBUTED
RESOURCESSection 1: Related terms defined. Sec. 2: Interconnnection of on-site
distributed generation purpose provided and tariff initiated. Sec. 3:
Disconnection and reconnection regulations established. Sec. 4:
Pre-interconnection studies for nonnetwork interconnection of distributed
generation required. Sec. 5: Pre-interconnection studies for network
interconnection of distributed generation required. Sec. 6: Equipment
precertification required and procedures established. Sec. 7: Interconnection
application processing time schedules provided. Sec. 8: Reporting requirements
provided.ARTICLE 5 CONFORMING AMENDMENTSSections 1-7: Language clarified,
technical changes. Sec. 8: Revisor instruction.ARTICLE 6 MISCELLANEOUS
PROVISIONS Section 1: Powers and duties of the chair expanded. Sec. 2:
Regulations concerning power disconnection during cold weather clarified. Sec.
3: Disconnection between October 15 and April 15 prohibited under certain
conditions. Sec. 4: Consumer protection provisions established. Medically
necessary equipment defined, undercharge situations detailed, and budget billing
plans established. Sec. 5: Low-income rate pilot program eliminated, replaced by
standard low-income program. Sec. 6: Preventative maintenance requirements
provided. Sec. 7: Wind energy conversion system regulations established. Sec. 8:
Wind energy conversion facility qualification criteria and incentive payment
options provided. Sec. 9: Repealer. Sec. 10: Effective date.ARTICLE 7 SAFETY AND
SERVICE STANDARDSSection 1: Related safety and service standard terms defined.
Sec. 2: Recording service interruption index required and contents specified.
Sec. 3: Annual summary report required and contents specified. Sec. 4: Initial
historical reliability performance report required. Sec. 5: Notification and
records of interruption of service required. Sec. 6: Customer complaint records
required. Sec. 7: Distribution utility standards established. Sec. 8: Cost
benefit analysis required. Sec. 9: Effective date.AE