MN SF19

Authorizes a public utility and the St. Paul district heating and cooling system cogeneration facility to jointly file a new power purchase agreement with the Public Utilities Commission by December 31, 2021, effective through December 31, 2023, with optional extension.

Requires the cogeneration facility to continue using waste wood as its primary fuel source and comply with Minnesota's Emerald Ash Borer quarantine regulations when utilizing waste wood from ash trees in designated quarantined counties.

Mandates the electricity price per megawatt hour be comparable to the average cost the utility pays for refuse-derived fuel, as determined by the Public Utilities Commission.

Requires any power purchase agreement proposal to include an electrification project plan that evaluates converting 30, 60, and 100 percent of the St. Paul district heating and cooling system to renewable energy technology by December 31, 2027, with cost and emissions impact analyses.

Allows the public utility to recover electrification project costs through an automatic cost recovery mechanism outside of general rate cases, with reasonable return on capital investments recovered only from Minnesota electric service customers.