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Elk River <br /> Municipal Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING <br /> TO: FROM: <br /> ERMU Commission Tom Sagstetter—Conservation and Key Accounts Manager <br /> MEETING DATE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER: <br /> February 12, 2019 6.2 <br /> SUBJECT: <br /> Report on Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association 2019 Legislative Rally <br /> ACTION REQUESTED: <br /> No Action Required <br /> BACKGROUND: <br /> Annually Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association (MMUA) holds a legislative rally at the State <br /> Capitol to inform and educate Legislators about issues that impact their communities. ERMU <br /> staff attended this rally with other utilities representing over 100 electric and natural gas <br /> utilities. <br /> DISCUSSION: <br /> Troy Adams and Tom Sagstetter met with Senator Mary Kiffmeyer, Representative Nick Zerwas, <br /> and Representative Eric Lucero on January 30th. David Niles from Minnesota Municipal Power <br /> Agency (MMPA) accompanied them to each of the meetings.The three meetings focused on <br /> the modernization CIP, possible changes to the Renewable Energy Standard (RES), and potential <br /> legislation that would erode the defined service territories of electric utilities. The other topics <br /> of discussed during the two days included: funding for broad band in outstate Minnesota, <br /> bonding for public facilities, salary and pay equity concerns,third party electric sales, beneficial <br /> electrification, and small cell pole attachments. With the shift in the house to a Democratic <br /> majority, 2019 should be an active year with many changes in committee leadership.The major <br /> topics of the rally included modernizing Conservation Improvement Programs (CIP), <br /> Modernizing CIP <br /> ERMU staff has been working with a number of work groups over the past few months to come <br /> to a consensus on the details of modernizing the CIP statutes.The work groups included <br /> utilities, regulatory agencies, and other non-governmental organizations.These work groups <br /> understand that the energy savings goals and spending requirements are not sustainable <br /> moving forward under the existing statutes.The goal of the work groups and the modernization <br /> of CIP are to recognize new technologies that continue to promote energy efficiency that is cost <br /> effective and benefits the environment through reduced greenhouse gas emissions.These <br /> changes are needed to respond to the technological advances, energy efficiency adoption rates, <br /> and the electric industry having a much cleaner generation portfolio than in 2007 when CIP was <br /> originally passed. <br /> Page 1 of 3 <br /> 101 <br />