Minnesota legislature to address energy issues
The 2012 Minnesota Legislative session will begin next week and is expected to be a sprint from start to finish. Since the previous session and government shutdown ended last summer, there has been plenty of news to keep politicos busy. And, with 2012 being an election year in which all legislators are up for re-election (because of redistricting, which is still unsettled), legislators will want to end the session on time to hit the campaign trail.
|
Great River Energy will represent member cooperatives on important energy issues during the Minnesota Legislative session that begins in late January. |
Great River Energy will represent member cooperatives with two key issues in mind: ensuring new net metering laws do not adversely affect members and ensuring Minnesota utilities retain the first right to build transmission lines in the state.
The Division of Energy Resources plans to propose changes to the current net metering statute. Great River Energy will work with legislators, Gov. Dayton’s staff and regulators to explain why any changes to the law must:
Another issue could be the proposal by many utilities in the state to develop a Right of First Refusal in Minnesota to ensure that utilities in the state have the first right to build necessary transmission lines.
A 2011 decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) removed this right, mainly as a response to utilities in the Southeast United States that have not built the necessary transmission. Instituting this statute in Minnesota will ensure that utilities who serve customers in the state can build, own and operate transmission lines that connect into the infrastructure that serves their customers.
