HF 2268

as introduced - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to energy; regulating wind energy 
  1.3             development; extending duration of position of 
  1.4             reliability administrator; establishing temporary 
  1.5             position of renewable energy development director; 
  1.6             amending Minnesota Statutes 2002, sections 216B.243, 
  1.7             by adding a subdivision; 216C.052, subdivision 4; 
  1.8             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.9             chapters 216B; 216C. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  [216B.1695] [WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT; 
  1.12  INTERCONNECTION.] 
  1.13     An electric utility, as defined under section 216B.38, 
  1.14  subdivision 5, shall act as the agent for a wind energy 
  1.15  developer that is seeking to interconnect with the utility's 
  1.16  system in all interconnection applications, testing, and other 
  1.17  requirements imposed for interconnection by the regional 
  1.18  transmission organization approved by the Federal Energy 
  1.19  Regulatory Commission for the region that includes the utility's 
  1.20  system.  The utility is responsible for conducting the necessary 
  1.21  interconnection tests.  To be eligible for interconnection 
  1.22  assistance by the utility under this section, a wind energy 
  1.23  developer must provide the utility with: 
  1.24     (1) a copy of a signed power purchase agreement for the 
  1.25  output of the proposed wind energy facility; or 
  1.26     (2) a copy of a purchase order for equipment to construct 
  1.27  the project with a delivery date and a copy of a signed receipt 
  2.1   for a nonrefundable deposit. 
  2.2      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 216B.243, is 
  2.3   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.4      Subd. 9.  [AGGREGATION.] Each certificate of need for a 
  2.5   high-voltage transmission line must include a requirement that 
  2.6   upon a showing of the aggregation of 20 megawatts or more of 
  2.7   qualified wind energy conversion facilities, as that term is 
  2.8   defined in section 216C.41, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), the 
  2.9   proposer of the high-voltage transmission line shall provide an 
  2.10  interconnection point to the high-voltage transmission system in 
  2.11  the form of a substation.  In order to trigger this requirement, 
  2.12  the wind energy developers must demonstrate: 
  2.13     (1) financial commitment to their proposed projects, in the 
  2.14  form of (i) a copy of a signed power purchase agreement for the 
  2.15  output of the proposed wind energy facilities or (ii) a copy of 
  2.16  a purchase order for equipment to construct the proposed wind 
  2.17  projects with a delivery date and a copy of a signed receipt for 
  2.18  a nonrefundable deposit; 
  2.19     (2) that their projects meet the eligibility requirements 
  2.20  of section 216C.41, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), regardless of 
  2.21  whether the project will receive incentives under that section; 
  2.22     (3) that aggregation of their proposed projects is 
  2.23  technically and economically feasible; and 
  2.24     (4) that residents of the county in which a wind energy 
  2.25  project is to be located or of an adjacent Minnesota county own 
  2.26  a majority interest in the project. 
  2.27     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 216C.052, 
  2.28  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  2.29     Subd. 4.  [EXPIRATION.] This section expires June 30, 
  2.30  2006 2010. 
  2.31     Sec. 4.  [216C.053] [RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT 
  2.32  DIRECTOR.] 
  2.33     (a) There is established the position of renewable energy 
  2.34  development director in the Department of Commerce.  The 
  2.35  director shall act as an ombudsman for utilities, renewable 
  2.36  energy developers, regulators, regional transmission grid 
  3.1   managers, and the public on issues related to renewable energy 
  3.2   development.  The development director shall coordinate the 
  3.3   activities of the reliability administrator and the Energy 
  3.4   Division of the Department of Commerce and shall advocate for 
  3.5   the completion of renewable energy projects throughout the 
  3.6   state.  The development director must be an at-will appointee of 
  3.7   the commissioner of commerce, and supervised by the deputy 
  3.8   commissioner for energy and telecommunications.  Administrative 
  3.9   expenses of the director are recoverable by the department as 
  3.10  general administrative expenses under section 216C.052, 
  3.11  subdivision 2, and must be included in the annual budget 
  3.12  required under that section. 
  3.13     (b) This section expires June 30, 2010.