[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6622527,"mediaKeyId","2783777-4e319ec25e31d736101bfb5df5712af8","parentId",2783777,"title","Senate committee votes to send bill to sunset community solar to Senate floor after contentious debate","audioSeconds",4802,"startMs",1544000,"endMs",6346000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2783777-4e319ec25e31d736101bfb5df5712af8&start=1544&end=6346","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2783777-4e319ec25e31d736101bfb5df5712af8/thumbnail_1544000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6622527/Minnesota/Senate-committee-votes-to-send-bill-to-sunset-community-solar-to-Senate-floor-after-contentious-debate","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6622527-7dc248c1eb220256f36abbad0fc4b654/orig.mp4?Expires=1773709208&Signature=UH85kwZie9JhEPqbWT8uf626-wMw8Shqlvw06rstflH92XYEgcdo2UqgOQkCY8mKZbuIyBNdBDmDjVaaIQTt89VAdz5jEDYuHrZjBhJSFIN0rQLWWpAdxgWBNY-uIhtTfkm~FU4oJt3gXPJtt9cw5L~2atC7vz-ABwYez1~-hokjgCw1wif5s6bNmigboi0yi8mCd878pj~RTaSvelxxWWCvKMG3XGXjzgKYAJ30HWCPPdkR2WsC1sxjT22XTwZ47BvA-cBuNQ1Y134tOqxcG53mZTAaLTY9rjRxhU1HuYz6VKVaITSbcNybLciKH6OOlo6VhARMJbXwtdU7gD09Tw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Legislature","date","2025-03-26T19:56:45.23Z","article","The Minnesota Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate Committee voted 8–3 to recommend passage of Senate File 2855, a bill that would sunset the state’s community solar garden (CSG) program in three years. The vote followed several hours of testimony from utilities, developers, labor and community organizations and wide-ranging questions from senators on cost, equity and reliability.

Senator Frentz, who presented the bill, told the committee that his central concern is the program’s cost and the subsidization of non-subscribing ratepayers. \"The cheaper the energy is, the more we will build,\" he said, urging senators to consider removing a program that he argued now imposes above-market costs on all ratepayers. Frentz cited the fuel clause totals from Xcel Energy reporting and said roughly $262 million of fuel-clause costs were associated with community solar even though the resource represented only a small share of total generation.

Opponents urged caution. Xcel Energy's Rick Evans described the program’s history and its effects on the company’s distribution grid, noting 900 megawatts of legacy CSG projects and congestion at interconnection points. He told the committee the program was uncapped initially, produced unexpectedly large development activity and placed stress on distribution infrastructure. Mr. Evans and several other witnesses said that the 2023 overhaul capped the program and added protections for low- and moderate-income subscribers but that community solar energy still can be more expensive than some other carbon-free resources.

Commerce Department staff urged the committee not to sunset the newer low- and moderate-income CSG program, calling it premature. Department witness Mr. Wyckoff said the program had delivered savings for qualified households, approved about 81 megawatts with some generation already online, and that the state had newly available federal Solar for All funds that could deepen bill savings for income-eligible customers.

Industry leaders, developers and community groups warned that a sunset would create market uncertainty and cause financial losses for local businesses that have already invested in projects requiring multi-year development timelines. Opponents noted a Department of Commerce study that found the CSG program delivered net benefits to Minnesota. Proponents pointed to the program’s higher per-unit cost and the transfer of those costs to nonparticipating ratepayers.

After extensive discussion, Senator Frentz asked the committee to recommend passage and send the bill to the Senate floor. The clerk conducted a roll-call vote; the motion that Senate File 2855 be recommended to pass as amended and be sent to the Committee on the Senate Floor carried 8–3. Recorded yes votes included Chair Frentz, Senator Matthews, Senator Green, Senator Greenhagen, Senator Hoffman, Senator Klein, Senator Rarick and Senator Weber; no votes were recorded by Senator Jeong, Senator Dibble and Senator McKeown. The committee’s roll-call record was entered into the minutes and the bill will now be considered on the Senate floor.

What the committee decided: the bill moves forward with a committee recommendation to pass and be sent to the floor; that recommendation does not by itself become law and can be amended, debated or reversed on the Senate floor. The vote and public record mean the policy debate will now proceed in full chamber consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate - 03/26/25","oneSentenceSummary","After hours of testimony from developers, utilities, advocacy groups and senators, the Energy Committee voted 8–3 to recommend passage of Senate File 2855, a bill that would sunset Minnesota's community solar garden program; the vote will now go to the Senate floor.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6622530,"Committee hears pilot to map wastewater heat potential; bill laid over",700,578000,1278000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2783777-4e319ec25e31d736101bfb5df5712af8&start=578&end=1278","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2783777-4e319ec25e31d736101bfb5df5712af8/thumbnail_578000.jpg","/articles/6622530/Minnesota/Committee-hears-pilot-to-map-wastewater-heat-potential-bill-laid-over","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6622530-c400d523b86198e981409624dc08f065/orig.mp4?Expires=1773709208&Signature=i5K54evkXtAwDmcV1Cow0Oo9-JEKAETACiwo9UnuEiSNg9zZXWCAsFrK~PKtu8zGdVYA7iR7bIbwXyxK7zSWIIP-yfXn-a0akkt-GzTSm3AfbWOqU6fycDtt4Q22tHRx1N9eSVgQgB9hsEr9fExkvrsPMzm~JJ76z~FiBcQ~Y6LWlqMgQ959bgdqoUez18f5OeiABneR~FgDsKWrIIRiqp60yfbHm6dIFWf0sEN2-DH9e8Ye~S4T0duHlgCvZBGgLnvy2iVk0y2HjO2QqWDH3PvtjFwexkbUrA3zShIvl22tWX4zMrBXUoPV9f8p-NrRAuo-tHc2W5H8ykSPRze8UQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Minnesota Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate Committee heard testimony on Senate File 2106, which would direct a statewide feasibility study to identify wastewater treatment facilities with recoverable thermal energy and provide limited engineering funding for two pilot projects.

Senator McKeown, sponsor of SF 2106, told the committee the bill would provide energy-resource information to the state’s roughly 800 public wastewater treatment facilities. He said two recent studies — in Saint Paul and Duluth — found wastewater facilities with enough recoverable heat to serve about 40,000,000 square feet of building space via district energy systems. \"The feasibility study language contained in Senate File 2106 will identify wastewater facilities throughout the state where thermal energy from the facilities could be captured and utilized,\" McKeown said, and the bill would quantify total energy available for heating purposes and provide limited design funding for one project in the seven-county metropolitan area and one project outside the metro area.

Michael Auger, senior vice president and chief business officer at Evergreen Energy, described global examples of sewer heat recovery — including projects in Helsinki, Denver and Seattle — and said Minnesota’s facilities could become local heating resources and potential revenue sources for facility operators. \"This is a circular economy heating solution generated by a local resource,\" Auger said, noting results in Duluth and Saint Paul that indicated significant recoverable heat.

Chandra Herr, senior policy associate with Clean Energy Economy Minnesota (SEAM), testified in support and said the pilot would help local governments overcome financial and technical barriers to integrating wastewater heat into district systems. Committee members asked several questions, including a request from Senator Gruenhagen for comparative cost information versus other heating options. Mr. Auger said the recovered energy is currently wasted and that captured heat would be benchmarked against other energy resources; he told the senator that customers signing off-take agreements would not pay more than they would for other energy sources.

Staff and the sponsor adopted an A1 amendment in committee to specify funding sources (the A1 replaced a general fund reference with the Renewable Development Account for this bill). The committee chair laid SF 2106 over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

Votes at a glance: The committee adopted the A1 amendment by voice vote; no roll call was recorded. Senate File 2106 was laid over for possible omnibus inclusion.","Senate File 2106 would fund feasibility work to identify wastewater treatment facilities that could supply thermal energy to district heating systems and allocate limited engineering funds for pilot projects; the committee adopted an A1 amendment and laid the bill over for omnibus consideration.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6622535,"Senate committee advances geothermal rebate bill adding $5 million for commercial projects",0,336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2783777-4e319ec25e31d736101bfb5df5712af8&start=336&end=336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2783777-4e319ec25e31d736101bfb5df5712af8/thumbnail_336000.jpg","/articles/6622535/Minnesota/Senate-committee-advances-geothermal-rebate-bill-adding-5-million-for-commercial-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6622535-d1a0707400a803dcd202f35e40ad3f63/orig.mp4?Expires=1773709208&Signature=CRfZyuZoSBWtIa6e9t4N2XKVhX1YYpp40XsvUiNgQmMwkSzK3E9e27OOxDFgoCMscv5lFMS850f5QNJj4caFpFcWqDyR9a2fJZX7IUJJ-Pdl9bchQoR45HqFjJX4TumxVJ0lG~gdfgRDVElfvwu~039v533k5mdjLr1gpu1xFK3aeARqU0XbysA-oXkM8W-CABKtS332XEGjPInd1~WKg8qTCMwQLaUOVY8s4h5LC54SGuMlYdTIV6JZXa6bGhmOgEevnKZt2iCaxqLuFhUyyXyzrW1hSgyVwwUDecL1yp-OTPG2cfArOeryFKLPGwfbXTxFUCPrYhEhV3lmIYLGCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate members on the Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate Committee voted to adopt an A1 amendment to Senate File 2900, a bill that would establish a geothermal rebate program focused on commercial buildings and multifamily residences.

The amendment adopted in committee adds a specified dollar amount and funding sources to the bill. Senator McKeown, the bill sponsor, told the committee the amendment fills a prior blank by allocating $5,000,000 from the general fund and $5,000,000 from the Renewable Development Account and allows up to 10% of each rebate to be used for recommended building improvements identified by a required energy audit.

The bill’s sponsor said the program is intended to reduce the upfront cost of installing geothermal systems, accelerate building decarbonization for government and nonprofit buildings and multifamily housing, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. \"Geothermal heat pumps are a carbon free and efficient way to heat and cool our buildings,\" Senator McKeown said, describing ground-source heat pump operation and the potential benefits for grid demand and building comfort.

Testimony before the committee included Aurora Botrin, legislative director for an organization identified in the record as 100%, who said the rebate would help local governments and other building owners move from planning into construction. \"This rebate program will enable those local governments, along with others interested in geothermal for their commercial buildings and multifamily residences, to move past planning and into building and benefiting Minnesotans,\" Botrin said. Willie Miley, regulatory director at Darcy Solutions, described his company's groundwater-enabled geothermal work and said a program like SF 2900 would “help accelerate the widespread adoption of geothermal heating and cooling across Minnesota,” noting geothermal systems can reduce peak electric demand compared with other HVAC systems.

Committee members asked no questions after testimony and the chair laid the bill over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill. Committee staff recorded the amendment adoption by voice vote and the bill was laid over without a final committee recommendation on passage.

Implementation and next steps will depend on subsequent omnibus negotiations and any additional amendments filed in later committee action or on the Senate floor. The committee packet includes letters of support from labor organizations such as the Minnesota Pipe Trades Association and LiUNA.

Votes at a glance: The committee adopted the A1 amendment by voice vote; no roll-call was recorded. Senate File 2900 was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.","The Minnesota Senate Energy Committee adopted an A1 amendment to Senate File 2900 that fills in funding amounts and would create a geothermal rebate program for commercial buildings; the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus package.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate committee votes to send bill to sunset community solar to Senate floor after contentious debate

Committee hears pilot to map wastewater heat potential; bill laid over

Senate committee advances geothermal rebate bill adding $5 million for commercial projects