Source: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2014/0/Session+Law/Chapter/254/
Timestamp: 2018-10-18 10:23:41
Document Index: 11371163

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 3300', 'arts 1', 'arts 3300', 'arts 1', 'arts 7607', 'arts 7685']

HF2834
CHAPTER 254--H.F.No. 2834
relating to energy; modifying, adding, or authorizing provisions governing medically necessary equipment, propane sales, low-income rate discounts, interconnection of distributed generation, electric vehicle charging tariffs, on-bill repayment programs, energy efficiency programs, emissions reduction planning, certificates of need, solar energy systems, transmission lines, and low-income home energy assistance; repealing certain obsolete administrative rules; requiring a report;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 16C.144, subdivision 3; 216B.098, subdivision 5; 216B.16, subdivision 14; 216B.1611, by adding a subdivision; 216B.241, by adding a subdivision; 216B.2422, by adding a subdivision; 216B.243, subdivision 8; 216C.41, subdivision 4; 216C.436, subdivision 4, by adding a subdivision; 216E.01, by adding a subdivision; 216E.04, subdivision 2; 239.051, subdivision 29; 239.785, by adding a subdivision; 325E.027; Laws 2013, chapter 57, section 2; Laws 2014, chapter 145, section 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 216B; 216E; repealing Minnesota Rules, parts 3300.0800; 3300.0900; 3300.1000, subparts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 25a, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36; 3300.1100; 3300.1200; 3300.1300; 3300.1400; 3300.1500; 3300.1600; 3300.1700; 3300.1800; 3300.1900; 7607.0100; 7607.0110; 7607.0120; 7607.0130; 7607.0140; 7607.0150; 7607.0160; 7607.0170; 7607.0180; 7685.0100; 7685.0120; 7685.0130; 7685.0140.
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 16C.144, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
Lease purchase agreement.
The commissioner may enter into a lease purchase agreement with any party for the implementation of utility cost-savings measures in accordance with the guaranteed energy-savings agreement. The implementation costs of the utility cost-savings measures recommended in the engineering report shall not exceed the amount to be saved in utility and operation and maintenance costs over the term of the lease purchase agreement. The term of the lease purchase agreement shall not exceed 15 25 years from the date of final installation. The lease is assignable in accordance with terms approved by the commissioner of management and budget.
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216B.098, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
Medically necessary equipment.
(a) A utility shall reconnect or continue service to a customer's residence where a medical emergency exists or where medical equipment requiring electricity necessary to sustain life is in use, provided that the utility receives from a medical doctor written certification, or initial certification by telephone and written certification within five business days, that failure to reconnect or continue service will impair or threaten the health or safety of a resident of the customer's household. The customer must enter into a payment agreement.
[216B.0991] DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of sections 216B.0991 to 216B.0995, the terms defined in this section have the meanings given them.
"Customer" means a person who has an established relationship with a propane distributor and whose propane system meets the safety guidelines established by the propane distributor for residential heating service.
LIHEAP.
"LIHEAP" means the low-income home energy assistance program.
Propane distributor.
"Propane distributor" means a person who sells propane at retail to customers as their primary residential heat source; propane distributors are not public utilities.
Residential heating service.
"Residential heating service" means the provision of the primary source of heat for the interior of a residential structure.
[216B.0992] PRICE AND FEE DISCLOSURE.
[216B.0993] BUDGET PAYMENT PLAN.
[216B.0994] PROPANE PURCHASE CONTRACTS.
[216B.0995] TERMS OF SALE.
A propane distributor with an available supply of propane must not refuse to sell propane to a customer who:
LIHEAP participation; delivery.
A propane distributor who accepts LIHEAP payments must, upon request, make available to its customers information regarding LIHEAP, including income eligibility and contact information for organizations accepting LIHEAP applications.
Third-party credit disclosure.
A propane distributor must not make known the names of past or present delinquent customers to other propane distributors, except in the course of a routine credit check performed when a prospective customer applies for credit privileges.
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216B.16, subdivision 14, is amended to read:
Low-income electric rate discount.
A public utility shall fund an affordability program for low-income customers in an amount based on a 50 percent electric rate discount on the first 400 kilowatt-hours consumed in a billing period for low-income residential customers of the utility at a base annual funding level of $8,000,000. The annual funding level shall increase in the calendar years subsequent to each commission approval of a rate increase for the public utility's residential customers by the same percentage as the approved residential rate increase. Costs for the program shall be included in the utility's base rate. For the purposes of this subdivision, "low-income" describes a customer who is receiving assistance from the federal low-income home energy assistance program. The affordability program must be designed to target participating customers with the lowest incomes and highest energy costs in order to lower the percentage of income they devote to energy bills, increase their payments, lower utility service disconnections, and lower decrease costs associated with collection activities on their accounts. For low-income customers who are 62 years of age or older or disabled, the program must, in addition to any other program benefits, include a 50 percent electric rate discount on the first 400 kilowatt-hours consumed in a $15 discount in each billing period. For the purposes of this subdivision, "public utility" includes only those public utilities with more than 200,000 residential electric service customers. The commission may issue orders necessary to implement, administer, and recover the costs of the program on a timely basis.
This section is effective October 1, 2014.
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216B.1611, is amended by adding a subdivision to read:
(a) Beginning July 1, 2014, each electric utility shall request an applicant for interconnection of distributed renewable energy generation to provide the following information, in a format prescribed by the commissioner:
This section is effective July 1, 2014, and applies to applications received on or after that date.
[216B.1614] ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING TARIFF.
Required tariff.
(a) By February 1, 2015, each public utility selling electricity at retail must file with the commission a tariff that allows a customer to purchase electricity solely for the purpose of recharging an electric vehicle. The tariff must:
Each public utility providing a tariff under this section shall periodically report to the commission, as established by the commission and on a form prescribed by the commission, the following information, organized on a per-quarter basis:
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216B.241, is amended by adding a subdivision to read:
On-bill repayment programs.
(a) For the purposes of this subdivision:
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216B.2422, is amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Long-range emission reduction planning.
Each utility required to file a resource plan under subdivision 2 shall include in the filing a narrative identifying and describing the costs, opportunities, and technical barriers to the utility continuing to make progress on its system toward achieving the state greenhouse gas emission reduction goals established in section 216H.02, subdivision 1, and the technologies, alternatives, and steps the utility is considering to address those opportunities and barriers.
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216B.243, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216C.41, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216C.436, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216C.436, is amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216E.01, is amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Solar energy generating system.
"Solar energy generating system" means a set of devices whose primary purpose is to produce electricity by means of any combination of collecting, transferring, or converting solar-generated energy.
[216E.021] SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM SIZE DETERMINATION.
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216E.04, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
The requirements and procedures in this section apply to the following projects:
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 239.051, subdivision 29, is amended to read:
Refinery, terminal.
"Refinery" or "terminal" means a petroleum refinery, pipeline terminal, river terminal, storage facility, or other point of origin where liquefied petroleum gas or petroleum products are manufactured, or imported by rail, truck, barge, or pipe; and held, stored, transferred, offered for distribution, distributed, offered for sale, or sold. For the purpose of restricting petroleum product blending, this definition includes all refineries and terminals within and outside of Minnesota, but does not include a licensed distributor's bulk storage facility that is used to store petroleum products for which the petroleum inspection fee charged under this chapter is either not due or has been paid.
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 239.785, is amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Notification of product unavailability; terminal operators.
A person who operates a terminal where liquefied petroleum gas is loaded into transport trucks for subsequent distribution shall notify the commissioner within 24 hours when liquefied petroleum gas is physically not available for sale to licensed distributors.
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 325E.027, is amended to read:
Laws 2013, chapter 57, section 2, is amended to read:
TRANSMISSION LINE; CERTIFICATE OF NEED REQUIRED AND EVIDENCE REQUIRED.
Laws 2014, chapter 145, section 1, is amended to read:
LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM; SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION.
This section is effective retroactively from March 1, 2014.
LEGISLATIVE ENERGY COMMISSION; PROPANE CONVERSION STRATEGIES.
Minnesota Rules, parts 3300.0800; 3300.0900; 3300.1000, subparts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 25a, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36; 3300.1100; 3300.1200; 3300.1300; 3300.1400; 3300.1500; 3300.1600; 3300.1700; 3300.1800; and 3300.1900, are repealed.
Energy conservation loan program.
Minnesota Rules, parts 7607.0100; 7607.0110; 7607.0120; 7607.0130; 7607.0140; 7607.0150; 7607.0160; 7607.0170; and 7607.0180, are repealed.
Cooling systems replacement; energy efficiency criteria.
Minnesota Rules, parts 7685.0100; 7685.0120; 7685.0130; and 7685.0140, are repealed.
Signed by the governor May 16, 2014, 10:03 a.m.