6.1.A. ERMUSR 04-12-2016 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Judiciary Committee also discussed the possibility of adding wholesalers and distributors to those subject to violations, but did not adopt such an amendment since it was outside of their committee's jurisdiction. Several members suggested that the bill author, Sen. Vicki Jensen (DFL-Owatonna), offer that amendment on the Senate floor. The bill now awaits debate on the Senate floor. Regulatory Certainty Passes to Senate Floor On Thursday, the Senate Environment and Energy Committee passed SF 3272, the legislation that would provide municipal wastewater facilities with "regulatory certainty" if they voluntarily install biological nutrient removal systems to remove nitrogen. The MPCA, which is proposing this bill, says that a nitrogen standard will be coming in the future and many municipal wastewater facilities currently need to be upgraded to comply with phosphorus standards. If a city chose to voluntarily build for nitrogen at the same time they build for phosphorus, the MPCA would not make the facilities' nitrogen or phosphorus standard more stringent during the useful life of the equipment or up to 20 years. The LMC testified that this bill combined with the Governor's $167 million bonding proposal for water and wastewater improvements,increased project caps, and increased state matches for these projects, provides great opportunities for cities wanting to go above and beyond. MMUA has also been offering assistance and support to the MPCA. The bill now awaits debate on the Senate floor. The House companion was discussed and laid over in committee last week. Other Bills of Interest HF 3074, authored by Rep. Chris Swedzinski(R-Ghent),would place additional requirements on Xcel's community solar garden program. Developers' promotional materials would have to include information such as an estimate of the annual generation and estimated payback timeframe. Developers would also have to establish escrows to pay back subscribers for potential losses and provide mechanisms for transferring subscriptions. Contracts would have to contain a warranty for a minimum level of energy to be delivered to the subscriber. The bill was discussed by the House Job Growth and Energy Affordability Committee on Wednesday. The Attorney General's office said this bill included many consumer protection recommendations it provided to the Public Utilities Commission that the PUC did not adopt. Numerous developers and clean energy advocates spoke against the bill. It was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus. HF 3508, authored by Rep. Dan Fabian (R-Roseau), would change the selection of Public Utilities Commission members from being appointed by the Governor to being elected from each congressional district. The bill was discussed in House Government Operations Committee and re-referred to the Job Growth and Energy Affordability Committee, but is unlikely to be passed this session. 226