Session Year 2003, Special Session 1

Bill Name: SF0021

E Relating to energy ARTICLE 1 � NUCLEAR ENERGY PROVISIONS Excluding
independent spent fuel storage installations located on +nuclear generation
facility sites for dry cask storage of spent nuclear fuel +generated by the
facilities from the definition of radioactive waste management+ facility under
environmental quality board (EQB) provisions; granting +authorization to the
public utility owning the Prairie Island nuclear power generating+ plant for
sufficient dry cask spent fuel storage capacity subject to certain +federal
license duration limits; subjecting future additional dry cask +storage or the
establishment of an independent spent fuel storage facility to public+ utilities
commission (PUC) certificate of need requirements, providing for +legislative
review and specifying certain spent nuclear fuel management +requirements and
storage limits; applying certain water standards to and certain +environmental
review and protection requirements on independent spent fuel storage
installations; providing for a settlement of certain disputes with +the
Mdewakanton Dakota tribal council at Prairie Island; requiring +certificates of
need for additional spent nuclear fuel storage to address the impacts+ of
continued operations; requiring the commissioner of health to review +data
collected and report to the legislature by a certain date on the +necessity of a
further study of the health of persons living near nuclear facilities+ funded by
the owner of the Prairie Island nuclear facilityARTICLE 2 � RENEWABLE ENERGY
DEVELOPMENTIncreasing the amount of money required to be transferred annually
by+ the public utility owning the Prairie Island nuclear generating plant to +a
renewable development account and to annually pay a certain amount of+ money
following the closing of the plant under certain conditions; +requiring annual
allocation of a certain amount of money from the renewable +development account
for renewable energy production incentives, providing for use, +requiring the
department of commerce to determine project eligibility; stating a +hydrogen
energy economy goal; modifying and expanding certain renewable energy
objectives, specifying certain biomass energy generation requirements+ and
specifying certain additional duties of the public utilities +commission;
authorizing the PUC to establish a program for tradable credits for +electricity
generated by eligible energy technologies; authorizing the counting +toward
utility objectives of technology based on fuel combustion under +certain
conditions and specifying certain wind energy production +requirements, certain
larger wind energy conversion systems not to qualify as eligible +energy
technology for renewable energy objectives purposes; requiring public+ utilities
owning nuclear power facilities to support the university of +Minnesota
initiative for renewable energy and the environment, specifying +certain
research requirements and a sunset; clarifying and making permanent +certain
energy conservation improvements requirements, defining eligible +renewable
energy sources and biomass; increasing the maximum number of +megawatts
authorized to be provided through the use of poultry litter and by +the St. Paul
district heating and cooling system cogeneration facility through the+ use of
wood waste; requiring entities under the state transmission plan to +determine
necessary upgrades to support development of renewable resources for +inclusion
in the biennial report; modifying the definition of qualified wind +energy
conversion facility relating to ownership for renewable energy +production
incentive eligibility purposes; extending the eligibility of certain +qualified
facilities for incentive payments, clarifying the payment period, +modifying
certain payment limits and expanding eligibility to certain larger +wind energy
conversion systems and on farm biogas recovery facilities; +prescribing an
eligibility process, requiring the commissioner of commerce to +determine
eligibility and to approve or deny applications within a certain +number of days
of receipt, imposing a time limit for operation of approved projects;+ requiring
reduction of the biomass mandate for facilities using short rotation +woody
crops as a primary fuel source under certain conditions; modifying +certain
analysis requirements of the legislative electric energy task force, +requiring
a study of issues relating to the transportation of spent nuclear +fuel to
interim or permanent repositories outside the state and to biennially+ report to
the legislature on recommendations for legislative action to ensure +development
and implementation of an electric energy policy; extending the +expiration date
of the task force and providing for increased funding; requiring +reduction of
the biomass mandate for facilities using short rotation woody crops +as a
primary fuel source under certain conditions; authorizing the PUC to +review the
appropriateness of the transfer of the administration of the +renewable
development account to an independent administrator selected by the commissioner
of commerce, authorizing approval under certain public +interest consistency
conditions; providing for the distribution of money from +the renewable
development account to the university of Minnesota for +hydrogen economy
research projects, specifying certain research focus +requirements; requiring
the department of trade and economic development to develop+ a program to
promote and encourage the development and attraction of businesses+ engaged in
the biocatalysis of agricultural and forestry plant products for +the production
of hydrogen from renewable energy sources, requiring a +DTED report to the
legislature on changes or additional funding needed; requiring+ the commissioner
in consultation with the commissioners of commerce and +revenue to develop a
plan to designate a certain number of energy innovation +zones to encourage the
development of fuel cells, hydrogen infrastructure and +other energy efficiency
and renewable energy technologies, specifying +certain consideration
requirements; requiring the department of commerce in +cooperation with DTED to
develop and issue a request for proposals for the +construction of a hydrogen to
electricity demonstration project with certain +specified components; requiring
the PUC to order a certain electric utility to +contract with a firm selected by
the commissioner of commerce for an +independent study of the impacts of
increasing wind capacity requiring incorporation of+ the study into the next
resource plan of the utility ARTICLE 3 � OTHER PROVISIONSProhibiting the
disconnection of electric service during periods of +extremely hot weather;
modifying the energy conservation improvement plan +overview filing requirement
for certain smaller municipal utilities and temporarily +authorizing spending to
refurbish existing district heating or cooling systems; +authorizing township
agreements with natural gas public utilities to provide +services, providing for
continuation of the services after annexation; +modifying certain analysis
requirements of the legislative electric energy task force, +requiring a study
of issues relating to the transportation of spent nuclear +fuel to interim or
permanent repositories outside the state and to biennially+ report to the
legislature on recommendations for legislative action to ensure +development and
implementation of an electric energy policy; extending the +expiration date of
the task force and providing for increased funding; reducing the +maximum amount
allowed to be paid by the department of commerce for energy +conservation
administrative costs, authorizing utility assessments for the +recovery of
certain costs and modifying use of the appropriation for the costs, +authorizing
use for implementation of the energy conservation benchmarks for +public
buildings; specifying certain qualifying projects for emissions +reduction rider
approval purposes; requiring the commissioner of commerce to contract+ with the
legislative auditor or an independent third party to evaluate the +conservation
improvement program; providing legislative approval of consumptive +use of water
in connection with gas fueled combined cycle electric generating +facilities in
the cities of Rosemount and Mankato upon approval of the permits by +the
commissioner of natural resources (DNR); repealing the requirement +for
development of an alternative spent nuclear fuel storage site and +certain
radioactive waste management analysis and reporting requirements of +the
legislative electric energy task force ARTICLE 4 � INNOVATIVE ENERGY PROJECT
Defining and regulating certain innovative energy projects (ja)