1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to solar energy; appropriating money for a solar generation on closed 
1.3 	landfill properties study.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. SOLAR GENERATION ON CLOSED LANDFILL PROPERTIES; 
1.6 	STUDY.
 1.7 	(a) The Environmental Quality Board may contract with one or more independent 
1.8 	consultants to conduct a study on the feasibility of locating solar photovoltaic devices on 
1.9 	land that is enrolled in the Pollution Control Agency's closed landfill program established 
1.10 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 115B.39 to 115B.445. The board, in collaboration with 
1.11 	the Pollution Control Agency and the consultants, must create a subset of approximately 
1.12 	two dozen closed landfill project sites displaying a variety of relevant legal and physical 
1.13 	characteristics to be analyzed. For each site, the study must:
1.14 	(1) examine the legal status of the site and any constraints that may prohibit or limit the 
1.15 	installation of privately owned solar photovoltaic devices on the site as a result of law or 
1.16 	the use of specific funding mechanisms to acquire or remediate the properties, including:
1.17 	(i) general obligation bonds;
1.18 	(ii) revenue from the remediation fund established in Minnesota Statutes, section 116.155; 
1.19 	and
1.20 	(iii) settlements from landfill-related insurance coverage;
1.21 	(2) assess any other tax or financial barriers to the installation of solar photovoltaic 
1.22 	devices on closed landfill properties;
2.1 	(3) develop and evaluate strategies to overcome any barriers to the installation of solar 
2.2 	photovoltaic devices identified in clauses (1) and (2);
2.3 	(4) evaluate the extent to which the physical characteristics of the landfill and the 
2.4 	contained waste may restrict the siting of solar photovoltaic devices and associated 
2.5 	equipment;
2.6 	(5) assess the potential and logistics for solar energy generation, including but not limited 
2.7 	to:
2.8 	(i) solar insolation potential;
2.9 	(ii) proximity to substations; and
2.10 	(iii) proximity of the electricity generated to potential consumers, including public 
2.11 	agencies, low-income communities, and areas where environmental justice concerns are 
2.12 	present;
2.13 	(6) describe the regulatory processes of local units of government that must issue 
2.14 	approvals and permits for the project, in order to develop a successful strategy to obtain 
2.15 	local approvals and permits; and
2.16 	(7) develop a cost-benefit analysis of installing solar photovoltaic devices whose 
2.17 	generated electricity is to be consumed by the adjacent community.
2.18 	(b) By ...., 2020, the Environmental Quality Board must submit the study containing 
2.19 	findings and recommendations for subsequent action to the chairs and ranking minority 
2.20 	members of the senate and house of representatives committees with primary jurisdiction 
2.21 	over energy policy and finance.

2.22 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

2.23 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 2.24 	$....... in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated from the general fund to the Environmental 
2.25 	Quality Board to conduct the study on deploying solar photovoltaic devices on closed landfill 
2.26 	program sites described in section 1.

2.27 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.