House passes energy and renewable development bill with weatherization cut and community protections for data centers

The Minnesota House passed Senate File 2, a bill addressing energy appropriations and renewable development accounts, after members debated program cuts and policy changes carried in the conference report.

Representative Acomb, who explained the bill on the floor, said the House had to make a $4 million cut per biennium in the energy and Department of Commerce targets and that funding for weatherization programs was reduced as a result. The bill includes extensions for Renewable Development Account (RDA) projects such as the Saint Thomas microgrid and a rooftop solar array for the National Sports Center, technical fixes (including a low‑income definition for the Home Energy Assistance Program) and additions to eligible geothermal planning grant recipients to include tribal nations.

The bill also contains two bipartisan policy provisions: securitization language to allow utilities to spread extraordinary fuel-cost spikes over multiple years, and a change in the definition of a large energy facility relating to natural-gas storage tanks. Supporters said securitization helps smooth bills for ratepayers following extraordinary events.

Debate included a range of views on whether the Legislature should do more to spur new clean-energy investments (green hydrogen, geothermal and other RDA projects) and whether Minnesota should pursue a broader energy strategy, including nuclear and hydrogen, to provide dispatchable baseload power.

The final roll-call tally recorded “90 ayes and 41 nays,” and the bill passed. Representative Acum and others said the bill protects recent clean-energy gains while acknowledging it was a modest package in a divided Legislature.

Votes at a glance: Senate File 2 — final passage: 90 ayes, 41 nays (passed).