Legislative Session number- 83

Bill Name: SF0733

E Relating to energy ARTICLE 1 � DRY CASK STORAGEGranting authorization for
additional dry cask spent fuel storage at +the Prairie Island nuclear power
generating plant without additional +administrative review to allow continued
operation of the facility until the end of +the federal licensing period subject
to federal storage limits, requiring+ a settlement agreement with the
Mdewakanton Dakota tribal council at +Prairie Island to resolve certain
outstanding disputes, requiring certain +payments to the tribe; authorizing the
recovery of costs relating to a certain +prior agreement from ratepayers;
requiring the public utility operating +nuclear generating facilities in the
state to obtain public utilities +commission approval to renew federal licenses
to operate beyond the initial +license period, requiring the PUC to treat the
proposal as a proposal for new construction and requiring a report to and
ratification by the +legislature ARTICLE 2 � RENEWBLE ENERGY
DEVELOPMENTRequiring annual allocation by the public utility owning the Prairie
+Island nuclear generating plant of an increased amount of money to the
+renewable development account for the development of renewable energy sources
+and energy storage technologies and requiring annual allocation of certain
+amounts of the money transferred to support basic and applied research at the
+university of Minnesota hydrogen and renewables research center and to fund the
+renewable energy production incentives for certain larger wind energy
+conversion systems, requiring the state energy office to determine eligibility
of +projects for the incentives, requiring and providing for payments by the
public +utility; establishing a state hydrogen energy economy goal; expanding
the +eligible renewable energy objective relating to technology to energy
recovery +facilities used to capture the heat value of mixed municipal solid
waste or +refuse derived fuel (RDF); requiring electric utilities to determine
necessary +transmission upgrades to support development of renewable energy
resources +required to meet the objective, specifying certain approval and
certificate of need requirements; specifying a certain objective requirement for
the +public utility owning the Prairie Island plant, exception; increasing the
maximum +number of megawatts of biomass electric energy installed capacity to be
+provided by the St. Paul district heating and cooling system cogeneration
facility; +modifying and expanding the definition of qualified wind energy
conversion +facility relating to location and ownership for renewable energy
production +incentive eligibility purposes and extending eligibility for
payments; +providing for incentive payments for refurbishment of hydropower
facilities; +modifying the limit on payments to wind facilities and specifying
certain +application requirements for the incentives, requiring commissioner of
commerce +approval; exempting from the sales tax hydrogen and hydrogen fuel
cells used to+ produce electricity or to power motor vehicles and certain
materials and +equipment used by hydrogen vehicle fueling stations and from the
motor vehicle sales+ tax vehicles fueled primarily by hydrogen or hydrogen fuel
cells; +requiring the department of trade and economic development to develop a
targeted +program to promote and encourage the development and attraction of
businesses +engaged in the biocatalysis of agricultural and forestry plant
products for the +production of hydrogen, the manufacture of hydrogen fuel cells
and hydrogen +electrolysis from renewable energy sources and report to the
legislature by a +certain date on legislative changes or additional funding
needed for the program; +requiring the DTED commissioner in consultation with
the commissioners of +commerce and revenue to develop a plan to designate a
certain number of energy +innovation zones to spur the development of fuel cells
and other energy +efficiency technologies, specifying certain factors for
consideration by the +commissioner and certain plan requirements, requiring a
report to the legislature +by a certain date; requiring the department of
commerce in cooperation +with DTED to develop and issue a request for proposals
for the construction of a +hydrogen to electricity demonstration project with
certain specified components; authorizing the public utilities commission (PUC)
to review the +appropriateness of transferring administration of the renewable
development account +to an organization with a board of directors including
representatives from+ the public utility currently administering the fund,
environmental +organizations, the Mdewakanton Dakota community and other
affected communities ARTICLE 3 - CONSERVATIONAuthorizing and providing for the
commissioner of administration +under state procurement provisions to enter into
guaranteed savings contracts +with qualified providers to significantly reduce
utility or operating +costs; modifying certain conservation spending
requirements and temporarily authorizing spending to refurbish existing district
heating or +cooling systems; extending the maximum duration of guaranteed energy
savings contracts+ under the uniform municipal contracting law ARTICLE 4 �
OTHER PROVISIONSIncreasing the number of members of the public utilities
commission +required to live outside the metropolitan area; including the use of
devices +limiting or interrupting electric service in the definition of
disconnection +under the cold weather rule and prohibiting disconnection during
periods of extreme +heat; specifying certain purposes of the legislative
electric energy task +force, modifying certain membership requirements and
duties and extending +the expiration date; reducing the maximum amount allowed
to be spent by +the department of commerce for general administrative costs of
the +reliability administrator; requiring submission to the PUC of certain
information+ by the public utility owning the Prairie Island nuclear facility
relating to+ plans to repower and upgrade electric generation facilities in the
+metropolitan area for emission reduction purposes and imposing a deadline for
the PUC +decision on the plan; reducing the biomass electric energy mandate and
prohibiting +PUC approval of the extension of previously approved biomass
contracts beyond a +certain date ARTICLE 5 � ENERGY ENTERPRISE ZONEProviding
for the creation of energy enterprise zones to encourage +interest in innovative
clean energy sources and in the recovery of the most +economically problematic
regions of the state; specifying certain designation +eligibility requirements
and requiring designation by the commissioner of the +iron range resources and
rehabilitation board (IRRRB); providing income, +franchise, property and sales
and use tax exemptions for owners of and investors+ in the enterprise zone;
specifying certain regulatory requirements for +projects designated as energy
enterprise zones (mk, ja)