HF 2967

1st Engrossment - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 03/26/2014 12:25pm

A bill for an act
relating to energy; conservation; amending the amount the Department of
Commerce may assess utilities; allocating incremental revenue to develop and
maintain a statewide uniform energy conservation reporting system for utilities;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216B.241, subdivision 1d.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216B.241, subdivision 1d, is amended to
read:

Subd. 1d.

Technical assistance.

new text begin (a) new text end The commissioner shall evaluate energy
conservation improvement programs on the basis of cost-effectiveness and the reliability
of the technologies employed. The commissioner shall, by order, establish, maintain, and
update energy-savings assumptions deleted text begin that deleted text end new text begin . The assumptions established by the order or
assumptions established by another source and approved by the commissioner new text end must be
used when filing energy conservation improvement programs. The commissioner shall
establish an inventory of the most effective energy conservation programs, techniques,
and technologies, and encourage all Minnesota utilities to implement them, where
appropriate, in their service territories. The commissioner shall describe these programs
in sufficient detail to provide a utility reasonable guidance concerning implementation.
The commissioner shall prioritize the opportunities in order of potential energy savings
and in order of cost-effectiveness. The commissioner may contract with a third party to
carry out any of the commissioner's duties under this subdivision, and to obtain technical
assistance to evaluate the effectiveness of any conservation improvement program. The
commissioner may assess up to deleted text begin $800,000 annually until June 30, 2009, and $450,000
deleted text end new text begin $980,000 new text end annually deleted text begin thereafter deleted text end for the purposes of this subdivision. The assessments must
be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the energy and conservation account
created under subdivision 2a. An assessment made under this subdivision is not subject to
the cap on assessments provided by section 216B.62, or any other law.

new text begin (b) Of the assessment authorized under paragraph (a), the commissioner may expend
up to $500,000 annually for the purpose of developing, operating, maintaining, and
providing technical support for a uniform electronic data reporting and tracking system
available to all utilities subject to this section, in order to enable accurate measurement
of the cost and energy savings of the energy conservation improvements required by
this section.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies to assessments made after June 30, 2014.
new text end