Minnesota Legislature
SF 2084
as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 03/13/2019 11:53am
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A bill for an act
relating to energy; clarifying an arbiter of disputes for certain utilities; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 216B.164, subdivision 5.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 216B.164, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
Subd. 5.
Dispute; resolution.
(a) In the event of deleted text begin disputesdeleted text end new text begin a disputenew text end betweennew text begin (1)new text end a deleted text begin public
utility and adeleted text end qualifying facilitynew text begin , and (2) a public utility or a cooperative electric association
that has not elected to assume the authority to resolve disputes permitted under subdivision
11new text end , either party may request a determination of the issue by the commission. In any such
determination, the burden of proof shall be on the public utility. The commission in its order
resolving each such dispute shall require payments to the prevailing party of the prevailing
party's costs, disbursements, and reasonable attorneys' fees, except that the qualifying facility
will be required to pay the costs, disbursements, and attorneys' fees of the public utility only
if the commission finds that the claims of the qualifying facility in the dispute have been
made in bad faith, or are a sham, or are frivolous.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivisions 9 and 11, a qualifying facility over 20 megawatts may,
until December 31, 2022, request that the commission resolve a dispute with any utility,
including a cooperative electric association or municipal utility, under paragraph (a).
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end