5.2. ERMUSR 09-10-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SESSION SUMMARY In 2013,the Minnesota Legislature convened for its annual session on January 8 and adjourned on May 20. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party retook control of both chambers from Republicans following the November 2012 election. Ballot measures to require voter ID and to formally ban same sex marriage were widely seen as backfiring on proponents and bringing DFL voters to the polls. With Mark Dayton as Governor, it was the first time in 20 years that one party held the majority of seats in both the House and Senate while a member of the same party sat in the chief executive's chair. The new majority's one essential job during the session was to enact a balanced budget for the 2013-14 biennium. Facing a forecasted $627 million deficit, it fulfilled its duty, raising taxes by$2 billion and making additional funding available for new and existing programs. In addition to those budget bills that fund the state government agencies, more policy bills were introduced this year that would affect municipal utilities than in any session since 2007 when the"Next Generation Energy Act"passed. In the six years since enactment of"NextGen," Minnesota utilities increased wind power generation and purchasing by more than 12%, on pace to achieve a 25%total by 2025 (or 30%by 2020 in Xcel's case). They improved and tracked electric and gas consumer efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions all while balancing revenue declines and large fuel cost fluctuations. Still, some legislators introduced measures in 2013 to mandate more renewable energy or increase the amounts utilities pay for it. Mostly though, legislators at the capitol were repeating one sentiment in particular. "It's time to do something for solar,"they said. An explanation of what the Legislature and the Governor"did for solar" begins on page 4 of this Legislative Report. From that long explanation,the one thing that must be noted in this Session Summary is that municipal utilities are relatively unaffected by the 2013 law changes. State-regulated investor-owned utilities will have to make major adjustments in the way they do business. Municipal and cooperative utility representatives made a coordinated and sustained lobbying effort throughout the session to educate legislators about significant negative impacts that would result from many of the proposals and disproportionately hurt consumer-owned utilities. But in the end, it was the phone calls and e-mails of MMUA members as well as co-op members that put the brakes on a legislative train that was headed down the wrong track. Report compiled by MMUA Senior Government Relations Representative Bill Black. Questions and comments welcome at bblack @mmua.org or 800-422-0119. 61