|
lar site wishing to claim their site provides benefits to viii. Article 11, section 9 amends Minn. Stat. §
<br /> gamebirds, songbirds and pollinators, to also report their 216C.436, subd. 4 by limiting the principal amount
<br /> site management practices to the Board of Water and financed, under the PACE program, to the greater of
<br /> Soil Resources by June 1, 2020, or the June 1 following 20 percent of assessed value or 20 percent of the appraised
<br /> the start of operations if after June 1, 2019, and then at value.
<br /> least once every three years. Effective July 1, 2019.
<br /> Effective July 1, 2019.
<br /> ix. Article 11, section 10 amends Minn. Stat.
<br /> iii. Article 11, section 4 amends Minn. Stat. §216C.436, by adding a new subd. 10 defining"real prop-
<br /> §216B.2422, subd. 1 by adding a subd. 7 which provides erty" and"fixtures" for cost-effective energy improve-
<br /> a definition to"Energy storage system."Among other ments financed under a PACE loan program.
<br /> requirements, such system must achieve any of the fol- Effective:July 1, 2019.
<br /> lowing: reduction of peak demand; deferral of the need to
<br /> or substitution for an investment in electric generation, x. Article 11, section 11 amends 2017 Session Laws
<br /> transmission, or distribution assets; improves the reli- Chapter 94, article 10, section 18 by transferring funds
<br /> able operation of the electrical transmission or distribu- not spent as of July 2, 2017 under the Made in Minneso-
<br /> tion systems while ensuring transmission or distribution to Solar Rebate Program to the renewable development
<br /> needs are not created; lowers consumers'costs by storing account (RDA).
<br /> energy when generating or purchasing cost is low, and Effective May 31, 2019.
<br /> delivering it to customers while the cost is high.
<br /> Effective May 31, 2019. xi. Article 11, section 12 amends 2017 Session Laws
<br /> Chapter 94, article 10, section 29 by requiring instruc-
<br /> iv. Article 11, section 5 amends Minn. Stat. tions on how certain funds may be deposited into the
<br /> §216B.2422 by adding a subdivision 7 that requires pub- RDA.
<br /> lic (investor-owned) utilities to include in their Integrat- Effective May 31, 2019.
<br /> ed Resource Plans, an analysis of how the deployment
<br /> of energy storage systems contributes to meeting their xii. Article 11, section 12 creates a new uncodified
<br /> identified generation and capacity needs and evaluating law establishing an Energy Utility Diversity Stakehold-
<br /> ancillary services. er Group and Report. The Minnesota Public Utilities
<br /> Effective:May 31, 2019. Commission is required to convene a stakeholder group
<br /> to examine the challenges and opportunities for Minne-
<br /> v. Article 11, section 6 amends Minn. Stat. sota's energy utilities to attract a diverse workforce with
<br /> §216B.62, subd. 3b.by re-authorizing the Department the skills needed to advance a 21st Century industry
<br /> of Commerce to assess all utilities collectively up to and to increase the diversity of energy utility suppliers.
<br /> $500,000 annually for activities after June 30, 2019, to The stakeholder group must include but is not limited to
<br /> carry out its statutory duty to represent the interests of stakeholders representing public utilities (IOUs), mu-
<br /> Minnesota residents, businesses and governments before nicipal electric or gas utilities and electric or gas cooper-
<br /> bodies and agencies outside the state that make, inter- ative associations.The commission's executive director
<br /> pret or implement regional, national and international must convene the first meeting of the group.
<br /> energy policy and that regulate and implement regional
<br /> or national energy planning or infrastructure develop- The stakeholder group must:
<br /> ment. The assessed amount per utility is proportionate • examine current and projected employment in the
<br /> to their gross operating revenues from retail sales of energy utility sector;
<br /> gas or electric service within the state. The assessment • provide information on possible approaches to assist
<br /> authority expires June 30, 2021. workers and energy utilities to develop a diverse
<br /> Effective: This section is revived and reenacted effective workforce that has the skills to build, maintain and
<br /> retroactively from June 29, 2018, except that the depart- operate the electricity system of the future;
<br /> ment is prohibited from making an assessment under • review key trends that have shaped employment in
<br /> this subdivision to finance the performance of any duties this sector and the demographics of the sector, in-
<br /> that occurred between June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019. cluding the underrepresentation of women, veterans
<br /> and minorities in employment and leadership;
<br /> vi. Article 11, section 7 amends Minn. Stat. § • identify the challenges to replacing retiring workers;
<br /> 216C.435, subd. 3a by including new-construction, • examine the imbalance of available worker skills to
<br /> renovation, and retrofitting as possible cost-effective utility workforce needs; and
<br /> energy improvements. • identify the challenges and possible approaches to
<br /> Effective:July 1, 2019. increasing supplier diversity.
<br /> The stakeholder group must also consider whether
<br /> vii. Article 11, section 8 amends Minn. Stat. information regarding workforce and supplier diver-
<br /> §216C.435, subd. 8, by allowing new construction to sity should be included and considered as part of any
<br /> qualify as qualifying commercial real property. resource plan filed by a utility with the commission. By
<br /> Effective July 1, 2019. January 15, 2020, the group must issue a report to the
<br /> 5
<br /> 235
<br />
|