House debate over bill to sunset Minnesota community solar law draws wide testimony; committee lays bill over

Chair Cyzwinski moved House File 2,793 before the Minnesota House Committee on Energy Finance and Policy on March 25, 2025, seeking to sunset the state's community solar garden (CSG) statute and limit future renewals of CSG contracts. The committee also considered an A-1 author's amendment that sets dates and grandfathering language for existing projects; the amendment passed by voice vote.

Deputy Commerce Commissioner Pete Wyckoff testified against the repeal, calling it premature. Wyckoff said the department's administration of the updated low- and moderate-income (LMI) CSG program shows it is “delivering benefits to the state now” and urged legislators to let a two-year experiment ordered by the 2023 legislature continue. He told the committee Commerce has approved about 81 megawatts of capacity under the new program, with nearly 10 megawatts already generating; approved projects in the 2024 program year are projected to serve more than 62% low- and moderate-income households and about 75% when accounting for affordable housing and other priority subscribers. Wyckoff also said the state has been awarded $64,000,000 in federal Solar for All funds that would be at risk if the program were sunset prematurely.

Multiple developers, local operators and community…