SF 1023

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 02/23/2012 09:35am

A bill for an act
relating to energy; eliminating certain allocations and temporarily prohibiting
approval of certain expenditures from renewable development account; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 116C.779, subdivision 3.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 116C.779, subdivision 3, is amended to
read:

Subd. 3.

Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment.

(a) Beginning
July 1, 2009, and each July 1 through deleted text begin 2012 deleted text end new text begin 2010 new text end , $5,000,000 must be allocated from the
renewable development account to fund a grant to the Board of Regents of the University
of Minnesota for the Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment for the purposes
described in paragraph (b). The Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment
must set aside at least 15 percent of the funds received annually under the grant for
qualified projects conducted at a rural campus or experiment station. Any set-aside funds
not awarded to a rural campus or experiment station at the end of the fiscal year revert
back to the Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment for its exclusive use.
This subdivision does not create an obligation to contribute funds to the account.

(b) Activities funded under this grant may include, but are not limited to:

(1) environmentally sound production of energy from a renewable energy source,
including biomass and agricultural crops;

(2) environmentally sound production of hydrogen from biomass and any other
renewable energy source for energy storage and energy utilization;

(3) development of energy conservation and efficient energy utilization technologies;

(4) energy storage technologies; and

(5) analysis of policy options to facilitate adoption of technologies that use or
produce low-carbon renewable energy.

(c) For the purposes of this subdivision:

(1) "biomass" means plant and animal material, agricultural and forest residues,
mixed municipal solid waste, and sludge from wastewater treatment; and

(2) "renewable energy source" means hydro, wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal
energy, and microorganisms used as an energy source.

(d) Beginning January 15 of 2010, and each year thereafter, the director of the
Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment at the University of Minnesota shall
submit a report to the chair and ranking minority members of the senate and house of
representatives committees with primary jurisdiction over energy finance describing the
activities conducted during the previous year funded under this subdivision.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin TEMPORARY PROHIBITION ON PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
APPROVAL OF RENEWABLE DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT EXPENDITURES.
new text end

new text begin Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 116C.779, the Public Utilities
Commission may not approve expenditures from the renewable development account
created by Minnesota Statutes, section 116C.779, during the period between the effective
date of this section and July 1, 2012.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end