SF 2371

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 03/13/2012 10:57am

A bill for an act
relating to energy; renewable energy; requiring studies related to distributed
generation.

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

Section 1. new text begin STUDY OF POTENTIAL FOR SOLAR ENERGY INSTALLATIONS
ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
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new text begin The commissioner of commerce must contract with an independent consultant
selected through a request for proposal process to analyze the potential for installation
of solar energy facilities on public property, including rooftops and parking lots. The
study must:
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new text begin (1) reassess all the buildings and adjacent land identified under the process initiated
in Laws 2001, chapter 212, article 1, section 3, commonly referred to as the B3 program;
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new text begin (2) determine available space for solar energy systems located on or adjacent to the
buildings, and potential maximum energy production potential; and
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new text begin (3) utilize existing data on energy efficiency potential in the B3 program and how it
could be combined with solar to match load.
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new text begin The final analysis and report must include a schedule for installing solar on public
property at a rate of four percent of available public building space for distributed
solar energy per year, utilizing information developed under section 2, and prioritizing
installations that result in the largest benefits with the shortest payback periods.
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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 STUDY; IDENTIFYING ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION
INTERCONNECTION POINTS FOR PUBLIC BUILDING RENEWABLE
GENERATION FACILITIES.
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new text begin The commissioner of commerce shall consult with public utilities, cooperative
electric associations, and municipal utilities to identify interconnection points for
renewable energy facilities located on public buildings. The commissioner shall utilize the
inventory of public buildings identified under Laws 2001, chapter 212, article 1, section 3,
and subsequent updates. Utilities must provide requested information to the commissioner
necessary for identification of the interconnection points. The commissioner must
complete the identification process by January 15, 2013.
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new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

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

Sec. 3. new text begin UTILITY SOLAR GRID READINESS STUDY.
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new text begin By January 1, 2013, each utility that sells electricity at retail in this state shall submit
a study to the Public Utilities Commission that utilizes the data on energy consumption
in public buildings collected through the B3 energy benchmarking tool developed under
Laws 2001, chapter 212, article 1, section 3, to:
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new text begin (1) create a database of public buildings to which it provides electric service at retail;
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new text begin (2) identify, for several scenarios based on different amounts of electricity
generated by solar photovoltaic devices installed on or adjacent to public buildings that
is made available to the utility's distribution system, the barriers at specific locations
on the utility's distribution system that may impair, limit, or prevent the efficient and
economical interconnection of public buildings with solar photovoltaic devices, taking
into consideration congestion points and capacity limits on the distribution system,
reliability, and other factors; and
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new text begin (3) suggest for each of the scenarios analyzed in clause (2) system upgrades
needed to overcome the barriers to interconnection identified and estimate the costs of
implementing those system upgrades.
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new text begin The commission shall compile a summary of the individual utility studies and, by
March 1, 2013, shall distribute the summary to the chairs and ranking minority members
of the senate and house committees and subcommittees with primary jurisdiction over
energy policy and finance.
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new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

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