6.1a ERMUSR 03-14-2023 - Laserfiche WebLink

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UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING TO: ERMU Commission FROM: Mark Hanson – General Manager MEETING DATE: March 14, 2023 AGENDA ITEM NUMBER: 6.1a SUBJECT: Staff Update ACTION REQUESTED: None DISCUSSION: • As stated in my mid-month update, Tom Sagstetter, Commissioner Mary Stewart, and I spent the week of February 27 in Washington, D.C., attending the American Public Power Association (APPA) Legislative Rally. It was a good conference with sessions on the energy tax provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), APPA’s legislative and resolutions committee, and an all-day series of meetings with various Minnesota representatives and senators. The following concerns/asks were presented to the legislators (the full “leave behind” pamphlet is attached): o Simplifying the rules and regulations for Investing in Infrastructure and Jobs Act (IIJA) and IRA grant implementation. o Benefits offered under the IIJA and IRA should be tax exempt. o Oppose attempts to repeal/rescind the new programs or impose sequestration. o Encourage the use of the Defense Production Act to resolve the supply chain crisis. o Streamline federal permitting process for utility projects (currently the process takes 5-7 years). o Cyber/physical security assistance in the form of guidance, best practices, and funding. o Restore the ability to use tax-exempt advance refunding of bonds. o Increase bond value local “small provider” banks may issue from $10M to $30M. o End the sequestration of public bonds (5.7% delta between taxed and taxed free bonds was supposed to be refunded by federal government but sequestration ended it). • The public summary of the February 2023 Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA) Board of Directors meeting is below. o The Board of Directors of the MMPA met on Feb 21, 2023, at Chaska City Hall in Chaska, Minnesota and via videoconference. o Management presented a 2022 performance summary. The presentation is attached. 223