2007 Minnesota Statutes

216C.265 EMERGENCY ENERGY ASSISTANCE; FUEL FUNDS.
    Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section.
(b) "Energy provider" means a person who provides heating fuel, including natural gas,
electricity, fuel oil, propane, wood, or other form of heating fuel, to residences at retail.
(c) "Fuel fund" means a fund established by an energy provider, the state, or any other
entity that collects and distributes money for low-income emergency energy assistance and
meets the minimum criteria, including income eligibility criteria, for receiving money from the
federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the program's Incentive Fund for
Leveraging Non-Federal Resources.
    Subd. 2. Energy providers; requirement. Each energy provider may solicit contributions
from its energy customers for deposit in a fuel fund established by the energy provider, a fuel fund
established by another energy provider or other entity, or the statewide fuel account established
in subdivision 3, for the purpose of providing emergency energy assistance to low-income
households that qualify under the federal eligibility criteria of the federal Low-Income Home
Energy Assistance Program. Solicitation of contributions from customers may be made at least
annually and may provide each customer an opportunity to contribute as part of payment of bills
for provision of service or provide an alternate, convenient way for customers to contribute.
    Subd. 3. Statewide fuel account; appropriation. The commissioner must establish a
statewide fuel account. The commissioner may develop and implement a program to solicit
contributions, manage the receipts, and distribute emergency energy assistance to low-income
households, as defined in the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, on a
statewide basis. All money remitted to the commissioner for deposit in the statewide fuel account
is appropriated to the commissioner for the purpose of developing and implementing the program.
No more than ten percent of the money received in the first two years of the program may be
used for the administrative expenses of the commissioner to implement the program and no more
than five percent of the money received in any subsequent year may be used for administration
of the program.
    Subd. 4. Emergency Energy Assistance Advisory Council. The commissioner must
appoint an advisory council to advise the commissioner on implementation of this section. At
least one-third of the advisory council must be composed of persons from households that are
eligible for emergency energy assistance under the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance
Program. The remaining two-thirds of the advisory council must be composed of persons
representing energy providers, customers, local energy assistance providers, existing fuel fund
delivery agencies, and community action agencies. Members of the advisory council may receive
expenses, but no other compensation, as provided in section 15.059, subdivision 3. Appointment
and removal of members is governed by section 15.059.
History: 1998 c 273 s 5; 2005 c 97 art 4 s 6