HF 1474

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 02/08/2023 10:24am

A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; requiring a report; appropriating money for biofuel financial
assistance.

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

Section 1. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; BIOFUEL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
new text end

new text begin (a) $....... in fiscal year 2024 and $....... in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from the
general fund to the commissioner of agriculture for grants that enable retail petroleum
dispensers, fuel storage tanks, and other equipment to dispense biofuels to the public in
accordance with the biofuel replacement goals established under Minnesota Statutes, section
239.7911. A retail petroleum dispenser selling petroleum for use in spark ignition engines
for vehicle model years after 2000 is eligible if the retail petroleum dispenser has no more
than ten retail petroleum dispensing sites and each site is located in Minnesota. The grant
money must be used to replace or upgrade equipment that does not have the ability to be
certified for E25. A grant award must not exceed 65 percent of the cost of the appropriate
technology. A grant award must not exceed $200,000 per station.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner must cooperate with biofuel stakeholders in the implementation
of the grant program. The commissioner, in cooperation with any economic or community
development financial institution and any other entity with which the commissioner contracts,
must submit a report on the biofuels infrastructure financial assistance program by January
15 of each year to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees
and divisions with jurisdiction over agriculture policy and finance. The annual report must
include but is not limited to a summary of the following metrics:
new text end

new text begin (1) the number and types of projects financed;
new text end

new text begin (2) the amount of dollars leveraged or matched per project;
new text end

new text begin (3) the geographic distribution of financed projects;
new text end

new text begin (4) any market expansion associated with upgraded infrastructure;
new text end

new text begin (5) the demographics of the areas served;
new text end

new text begin (6) the costs of the program; and
new text end

new text begin (7) the number of grants to minority-owned or female-owned businesses.
new text end