All Public Utilities and Public Utilities Commission Legislation - Minnesota

Modifying cable communications regulations; requiring cable communications system providers to make efforts to interconnect systems with state authorized video service provider systems; prohibiting cable communications systems logos or marketing materials placement appearing to favor certain cable communications, regulating advertising; prohibiting cable communications systems program content or public programs access limitations, clarifying liability; requiring persons seeking to provide video service to apply and register with the public utilities commission (PUC) after a certain date, providing for certificate issuance, application fee, service area, final determination and termination; requiring public access capacity equal to public, educational and governmental (PEG) access channels as provided by existing cable communications system providers, specifying content format and PEG fees; requiring provider fees, specifying [...]

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Relating to energy; modifying provisions relating to community based energy development projects, modifying the community based energy development tariff to reflect renewable energy technologies, restricting wind energy single ownership, modifying the definition of community based energy development (C-BED) project and the tariff rate, updating C-BED project priorities, placing negotiation conditions on utilities intending to own or contract with independent power producers without C-BED projects; authorizing municipal power agencies and cooperatives to offer members a certain community energy partnership opportunity; authorizing public utilities to construct, own and operate generation facilities to fulfill renewable energy objectives, requiring renewable energy plan filings with the public utilities commission (PUC) and requiring PUC approval; authorizing utilities to petition the PUC to approve rate schedules providing [...]

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"Global Warming Preparedness Act of 2007"; specifying legislative findings; defining certain terms related to greenhouse gas emissions; requiring pollution control agency (PCA) to monitor sources greenhouse gas emissions; requiring all major emitting sources to file with the PCA by a certain date a good faith estimate of greenhouse gas emissions; requiring PCA to adopt rules to require the reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions; requiring PCA to report to legislature by a certain date stating the amount of statewide greenhouse gas emissions, evaluating costs and benefits of reducing greenhouse gases, identifying ways to reduce gases and developing research and investment opportunities regarding the reduction of greenhouse gases, specifying additional PCA duties; authorizing the public utilities commission (PUC) to approve routing of carbon dioxide pipelines; requiring owners of certain coal fired power [...]

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Relating to the organization, operation and financing of state government ARTICLE 1 - APPROPRIATIONS Providing a summary of appropriations and appropriation reductions by fund; reducing certain prior appropriations to the commissioner of commerce for administration and office of energy security programs, to the commissioner of employment and economic security (DEED) for the employment grants program, to the commissioner of labor and industry for the municipal building permit reporting unit in the labor standards program and to the bureau of mediation services; appropriating money to the commissioner of commerce for energy and telecommunications, to the commissioner of employment and economic development (DEED) for business and community development and workforce development, to Explore Minnesota tourism for the Minnesota film and TV board, to the Minnesota historical society for the sesquicentennial commission [...]

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Relating to natural resources; modifying gross weight limitations restrictions on vehicles hauling unfinished forest products; expanding certain renewable energy objectives for allocation of costs purposes for electricity providers; modifying the apportionment formula of general application under the corporate franchise tax; modifying the sales tax exemption for capital equipment and defining wood products industry; expanding the sales and use tax agricultural exemptions for repair and replacement parts to include skidder tires; appropriating money to the commissioner of natural resources for certain assistance to nonindustrial private forest landowners and for implementation of the sustainable forest resources act, to the Minnesota forest resources council, to the forest resources interagency information cooperative and for certain costs for generating revenue, to hire additional filed foresters to work on timber sales,[...]

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1E Relating to public finance; providing terms and conditions relating to the issuance of obligations and the financing of public improvements and services; modifying certain collateral amount requirements for the deposit of local public funds; extending the time for repayment of certain school district certificates or notes for equipment purchases; extending the time for certain publications of a public notice; modifying the definition of subordinate service district and defining special services for towns; modifying certain requirements for the establishment of a subordinate service districts by town boards and specifying certain duties of town boards, authorizing the issuance of bonds and certain covenants to secure obligations for subordinate service districts; modifying county subordinate service districts provisions, authorizing the issuance of bonds and certain covenants to secure obligations for subordinate service

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Relating to energy; modifying certain renewable energy objectives requirements; authorizing the public utilities commission (PUC) to investigate and order compliance with the requirements, authorizing imposition of a financial penalty for failure to comply, specifying certain commissioner review requirements; requiring the department of commerce to consult with interested parties and report to the legislature by a certain date on the feasibility and advisability of allowing energy savings from excess conservation investment program investments to serve to reduce the electric utilities good faith objective; requiring the commissioner of employment and economic development (DEED) in consultation with the commissioners of commerce and agriculture and the public utilities commission to develop a strategy to obtain the maximum economic benefit for the state from the renewable energy objective,. requiring report to the legislature [...]

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Relating to energy; changing renewable energy objectives to standards and specifying renewable energy standards, requiring utilities to report on standards compliance to the public utilities commission; requiring the PUC to accept findings of fact as presented by governing bodies of generation and transmission cooperative associations, municipal power agencies or power districts; requiring the PUC to establish a program for tradable renewable energy credits generated by a renewable energy technology by a certain date, specifying program requirements, allowing electric utilities to utilize renewable energy credits, requiring the PUC to facilitate renewable energy credits trading between states, specifying a limitation and renewable technology restrictions; authorizing the PUC to investigate electric supplier compliance; modifying the definition of large energy facility; regulating large energy facilities certificates [...]

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Relating to energy; creating the demand efficiency program; defining certain terms; specifying applicability to state public and municipal utilities and certain generation and transmission cooperative electric associations, allowing electric customer facilities owners to petition the commissioner of commerce for energy savings requirements exemptions, requiring the commissioner to establish annual energy savings goals, requiring utilities and associations to file energy efficiency and conservation improvement plans, prescribing manner of filing and service, providing for appeals, requiring independent audits, specifying ownership of energy efficiency and conservation improvement, requiring the commissioner to establish low income energy efficiency and conservation programs, allowing grants, requiring the departments of administration and commerce to maintain and revise sustainable building guidelines, establishing a [...]

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2E Modifying provisions relating to wetland conservation; modifying certain agency service application requirements; authorizing the board of water and soil resources (BOWSR) to issue penalty orders for certain violations; authorizing local government units to require a deed restriction for certain drained wetlands, prohibiting ponds created for stormwater management requirements from being used to satisfy replacement requirements; modifying certain wetland replacement siting requirements; modifying certain replacement plan exemptions for agricultural activities, drainage, federal approvals, utilities and public works; modifying de minimis footage requirements; authorizing the board to develop rules addressing the application and implementation of exemptions and providing for estimates and reporting of exempt wetland impacts; authorizing the board to develop a professional wetland delineator certification program; specifying [...]

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