HB 1452 Summary

• Creates a clean sustainable energy authority with 16 members (8 voting, 8 nonvoting technical advisors) appointed by the legislative management, research councils, and state agencies to recommend funding for clean energy projects and technologies.

• Establishes a clean sustainable energy fund with $25,000,000 appropriated from the general fund during the 2021-2023 biennium, providing continuing appropriations for grants, loans, and other financial assistance for research and development of clean energy technologies.

• Expands the energy policy commission to include low-emission technology initiatives and directs it to make recommendations on affordable, reliable, resilient, and sustainable energy; evaluate critical energy infrastructure; and monitor environmental benefits of state energy policies.

• Authorizes the Bank of North Dakota to administer loan and loan guarantee programs under the clean sustainable energy fund with interest rates not exceeding two percent per year, with principal and interest repayments deposited back into the fund.

• Exempts the industrial commission from procurement requirements when contracting for energy-related programs and protects trade secrets and proprietary business information submitted to the commission from public disclosure.