SF 1907

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/21/2017 09:40am

A bill for an act
relating to energy; modifying and extending the assessment for technical assistance
under the energy conservation improvement program; amending Minnesota Statutes
2016, section 216B.241, subdivision 1d.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 216B.241, subdivision 1d, is amended to read:

Subd. 1d.

Technical assistance.

(a) 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 that 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 $850,000 deleted text end new text begin $950,000 new text end annually 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.

(b) Of the assessment authorized under paragraph (a), the commissioner may expend
up to deleted text begin $400,000 deleted text end new text begin $500,000 new text end annually deleted text begin for the purpose of developing, operating, maintaining,
and providing deleted text end new text begin to develop, operate, maintain, and provide new text end technical support new text begin through the
energy savings platform tool new text end 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. deleted text begin This paragraph expires June 30, 2017, and may be used for no more than three
annual assessments occurring prior to that date.
deleted text end