 
Minnesota Legislators Submit Bill to Create Grant Program
for Solar Power Installations
February 10, 2010
Minnesota House Representatives Brita Sailer and Jeremy Kalin have submitted
HF2586, which, if passed into law, would appropriate money for a solar power installation
grant program. According to the bill, a solar energy installation account would
be created and money in the account would be used for capital costs of solar energy
installations in publicly owned buildings.
Under the proposed program, political subdivisions would be able to apply for
a grant to acquire and install an eligible solar energy system on one or more
state bond financed buildings that it owns. The bill explains that the money in
the account each year would be allocated among the state's 11 regions equally
and the commissioner of administration would make the grants on a first-come,
first-served basis within each region.
The bill text also notes that if a grant awarded to a political subdivision
is not encumbered within four years after the award date, it must be canceled.
If, after five years, the commissioner of administration determines that a project
has not proceeded in a timely manner and is unlikely to be completed, the commissioner
of administration would be required to cancel the grant and all grant money awarded
for that project must be returned. For industrial park development projects, if
after five years the industrial park is not developed and available for business
use, the commissioner of administration must cancel the grant and require the
grantee to return all grant money for that project. If the industrial park is
developed and available for use within five years, but no businesses have located
in the park, the grantee is not required to return any grant money.
By January 15 of each year, the commissioner of administration would also be
required to submit a list of the projects that have been funded with money from
the account to the commissioner of management and budget and to the chairs of
the House of Representatives and senate committees with jurisdiction over environment
and natural resources finance and capital investment.
The bill has been referred to the chair of the House Energy Finance and Policy
Division.
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