Minnesota
House
The House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee heard HF 1750 (Christensen, DFL-Stillwater) on Thursday. This bill would create an Energy Transition and Legacy Office. The office would create a plan for responding to the closure of power plants and the financial impacts on surrounding communities and workers.
The committee also heard HF 1850 (Bierman, DFL-Apple Valley). HF 1850 would establish a temporary solar tax credit for taxpayers who receive retail electric service from a cooperative electric association or a municipal utility. The maximum tax credit for an individual is $5,000 and for a business is $20,000 to install solar energy systems. Advocates argue that the bill will give those who receive retail electric service from a cooperative or a municipal utility the opportunity to install small scale solar. The bill was laid over.
Senate
The Senate Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy Committee heard SF 1621 (Frentz, DFL-Mankato) on Thursday. This bill amends the intervenor compensation law as it pertains to proceedings in front of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The bill expands who can be considered an “intervenor” to include a non-profit organization, a tribal government or an individual. Second, SF 1621 greatly increases the amount of compensation an intervenor may be granted by the PUC.
The bill was brought to Sen. Nick Frentz by the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) and EnergyCents Coalition. As a rate-regulated utility, Dakota Electric Association would have been subject to the bill. Great River Energy assisted Dakota Electric Association in advocating for clarifying language to have the bill only apply to investor-owned utilities. CUB and Frentz agreed to the clarification.
The investor-owned utilities also worked with CUB to amend the bill so that there were caps on compensation amounts and allowing cost recovery.
SF 1621 was laid over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill.
The Legislature will be on Easter break March 26 through April 5.
North Dakota
Many pieces of legislation that Great River Energy has been tracking, and providing guidance on, recently passed through the House and Senate floors and continued on to Gov. Doug Burgum’s desk for his signature. These include:
- The carbon capture and storage sales and use tax exemption bill, SB 2152.
- The federal air quality rules bill, SB 237.
- The regional haze implementation bill, SB 2238.
- The electric vehicle charging station bill, SB 2091, which allows for resale of electricity for charging stations and clarifies the definition of public utility and rural electric cooperative.
- The data center sales and use tax exemption bill, SB 2137.
- A concurrent resolution that urges the federal government to refrain from enacting regulations that threaten the reliability and affordability of electric power in North Dakota and to increase support for research, development, and deployment for next generation carbon-based energy generation was adopted and filed with the Secretary of State.
- The coal conversion and severance tax exemption legislation, HB 1412, was heard in Senate Appropriations and then back to Senate Finance and Tax Committee. The bill provides five-year coal conversion tax relief to lignite plants to help improve their economic circumstances. The original intent was to be at 85% of the total conversion and severance taxes so it would not impact the local 15% county, city and school tax revenues. The percentage was amended to a lower rate but is now back to 85%.
The Clean Sustainable Energy Authority bill, HB 1452, continues to be discussed in committee. The bill includes $40 million for North Dakota’s general fund for grants and loans for innovating projects using the state’s energy sources. The authority will also oversee a $250 million long-term loan fund that is included in a separate bonding bill. The loan fund is intended for innovative development projects.
The resilience reporting bill, SB 2313, continues to be discussed and debated during the House and Natural Resources Committee’s work. Also, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee delayed the hearing of the energy conversion facility retirement bill, HB 1455, until next week.
Great River Energy has several position statements available to inform stakeholders on key issues. Find them here.