HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-13-2022 Council Packet
CITY OF OAK PARK HEIGHTS
CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13,2022
6:00PMAT CITY HALL
6:00p.m.I.Call to Order/Pledge of Allegiance/Approval of Agenda
Estimated
times
6:00p.m.II.Council/StaffReports
A.Mayor McComber
B.Councilmember Dougherty
C.CouncilmemberJohnson
D.Councilmember Liljegren
E.Councilmember Runk
F.Staff
Chief of Police
Assistant City Administrator/City Clerk(pg. 3)
6:05p.m.III.Visitors/Public Comment
Thisis an opportunity for the public to address the Council with questions or concerns on issues notpart of the regularagenda (Please
limitcomments to 3 minutes in length).
6:10p.m.IV.Consent Agenda(Roll Call Vote)
A.ApproveBills& Investments
B.Approve City Council Worksession Notes August 23, 2022(pg.5)
C.Approve City CouncilMinutesAugust 23,2022(pg.7)
D.Approve Resolution Granting the Application of St. Croix Yacht Clubfor a One-
Day Temporary On-Sale Liquor License at St. Croix Yacht Club on October 22,
2022(pg.11)
E.Set Public Hearing for September27, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. for Request by St. Croix
Yacht Club Regarding Noise Ordinance for a Concert to be Held on October 1,
2022(pg.13)
F.Approval to Purchase Ballistic Helmets and Ballistic Plates with Carriers(pg. 15)
6:15p.m.V.PublicHearings
6:15p.m.VI.OldBusiness
A.Solid Waste and Recycling Services Contract(pg. 19)
6:25p.m.VII.NewBusiness
A.Energy Transition Advisory Committee (ETAC) Anticipated Draft Plan
Discussion(pg.21)
B.Consider Fence Consortium & Public Works Mutual Aid Agreement(pg.63)
C.Xcel Energy Quarterly Stakeholder IRP Requirements(pg.99)
D.MPCA Information A.S. King Plant Closure Possible Joint Worksession(pg.
105)
6:40p.m.VIII.Other CouncilItemsor Announcements
6:40 p.m.IX.Closed Session(closed pursuant to MN Stat. 13D.05, Subd. 3(b))
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A.Code Enforcement Violation1403454Street North
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Agenda
September 13,2022
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7:00p.m.IX.Adjournment
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Oak Park Heights
Request for Council Action
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Meeting Date September 13, 2022
Time Required: 1 Minute
Agenda Item Title: Energy Transition Advisory Committee –(ETAC) Anticipated Draft Plan
Discussion
Agenda Placement New Business
Originating Department/Requestor Mayor Mary McComber
Requester’s Signature
Action Requested Discussion, Possible Action
Background/Justification (Please indicate if any previous action has been taken or if other public bodies
have advised):
The ETAC Draft Plan is expected to be presented at the next ETAC meeting in Cohasset on
9/27/22. There will be comments accepted after the Draft is released and a final document will be
presented in October in Red Wing. Those documents will include all expected final charts, graphs and
narrative elements.
The attached documents outline some of the key conversation points to date and sets up the framework
for the final DRAFT document to be available in September.
Enclosed:
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1. August 30 – ETAC - MEMO -Composition Drafts - OUTLINES
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2. July 26, 2022 Meeting Minutes - ETAC
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Memo
Date: August 30, 2022
To: Energy Transition Advisory Committee
From: Carla Vita, Director Energy Transition
RE:ETAC Plan Composition Drafts
Background:
The ETAC at your June 28, 2022 you determined your goal to have the ETAC plan in draft form at the September
2022 meeting and the final draft at the October 2022 meeting. To meet those objectives, 5 Task Forces and 1
Committee was created:
Community Engagement
Economic Diversification
Re-Use of Assets
Tax Base – Financial Assistance
Workforce
Executive Committee
Each has been working on a document for the plan. The document covers items such as the goal of each task
force, recommendations, strategies, and background on their work. Each task force took the Energy Transition
Sprint created by the Minnesota Business Vitality Council as a basis of their work. Included are many items from
other states and research that they have completed.
The Stakeholder survey was extended to receive more input. The Executive Committee (Marshall Hallock and
Tamara Lowney) are meeting with Abby Wozniak and staff on the analysis to provide to the Task Forces the first
week in September.
Requested Outcome
Each Task Force &/or Committee is looking to the ETAC to ensure that the work that they are preforming is
meeting your expections. Please provide the Task Force on any thoughts you have, modifications or requested
further analysis.
Index
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Pages 2 -3 Plan Outline
Pages 4-9 Community Engagement DRAFT
Pages 10-17 Economic Diversification DRAFT
Pages 18- 23 Re-Use of Assets DRAFT
Pages 24-28 Tax Base- Financial Assistance DRAFT
Pages 29-32 Workforce DRAFT
Outline of
Energy Transition Advisory Committee Plan
I.One Pager for each task force info to include:
a.Goal
b. FAQ’s
c.Top 5 recommendations
II.Executive Summary
State Statute. Purpose of the plan: the 5 task forces, the executive committee and
the advisory committee review throughout process. Identify any gaps and
recommendations in the 5 task forces and that the Executive Committee identified
that do not fit within the 5 task forces. Identify policy recommendations/other
specific items to achieve goals. Prioritize solutions.
a. FAQ’s
b. Top 5 recommendations, which emphasis on solution implementation
and who is owning the next steps
III.Introduction
1. Background
a. Before legislations
a. Communities in need of help
a. Capacity
b. Workforce
c. Taxes and other funding
d. What happens after closure
b. Colorado as a model
b. Just Transition, McKnight Foundation
c. Colorado Plan
d. Energy Transition Sprint
e. Midwest Governor’s Association report
b. Work of the Committee
a. Met in impacted communities
b. Tours of plants – closing and closed
c.Presentations
d. Fast track work
e. Best Practices
c. Overview of the Recommendations/Next steps
IV.Workforce Committee
a. Goal
b. Recommendations
a. Recommendation 1: ____
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b. Recommendation 2: ____
c. FAQ’s
V.Community Engagement
a. Goal
b. Recommendations
I. Recommendation 1: ____
II. Recommendation 2: ____
c. FAQ’s
VI.Tax Base – Financial Incentives
a. Goal
b. Recommendations
I. Recommendation 1: ____
II. Recommendation 2: ____
c. FAQ’s
VII.Re-Use
a. Goal
b. Recommendations
I. Recommendation 1: ____
II. Recommendation 2: ____
c. FAQ’s
VIII.Economic Diversification
a. Goal
b. Recommendations
I. Recommendation 1: ____
II. Recommendation 2: ____
c. FAQ’s
IX.Other / Executive Committee
a. Other work and Guidance
I. Stakeholder Survey
II. Community Survey
b. Recommendations
I. Recommendation 1: ____
II. Recommendation 2: ____
c. FAQ’s
d. Other Recommendations – Unfinished Business
I. Recommend
II. Recommend
III. what comes next in the way of energy
X.Next Steps
XI.Appendix
I. Survey results
I. Schools
II. Cities, Prairie Island and Counties
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Community Engagement – 8.18.22 – DRAFT 4
Goal
Ensure engagement and communication a community can experience is timely, thoughtful and
effective with established deadlines and timelines.
Recommendations & Strategies:
To achieve the goal, the accuracy and transparency of a timeline is imperative to success. This
will assist in solutions that can be proactive and effective. State and federal authorities, Federally
Recognized Tribes, unions, community partners, academic and scientific researchers, non-profit
interest groups, economic development agencies, business groups, and of course the utilities
themselves can and should all weave threads in the tapestry of conversation. These types of
conversations are difficult to have well in advance, since change can be costly and most
individuals and institutions are understandably reluctant to discuss potential loss of jobs or
reduction of tax base. But these are nevertheless essential conversations since the work to be
done is substantial.
1.Funds for marketing and communication efforts before, during and after transition.
Special consideration to reach people of diverse backgrounds and those that may feel
disenfranchised, including Native American people, in a multi-disciplinary
communication approach to find people where they are at. This includes a closing
ceremony to allow people to grieve.
2. Multi agency state action teams made up of technical experts in relevant fields should
be available to provide assistance and guidance to coordinate and align existing grant
programs and funding which helps coordinate and execute support strategies at the
local, state, and federal levels.
3.
Consider new or repurposed resources to kick-start community engagement.
Even if a projected shutdown date is a decade in the future, communities will be more
willing to think through the retraining and related economic development needs if the
State opens up paths to new or little-used resources. A potential example would be
the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership’s “six percent” funds (M.S. 116L.05) , which
represent a modest but flexible opportunity to undertake special projects “concerning
areas of projected employment need.” That board and staff (and leaders and staff like
them) should engage the Office of Energy Transition to schedule a series of specific
conversations over the next year or two, to give eligible communities the chance to
chart a successful course through the economic challenges ahead.
4. The State of Minnesota Office of Energy Transition should provide and support the
development of community led engagement efforts to help communities plan for a
successful transition. Guidance on developing and implementing beneficial
community conversations, task forces, community advisory panels, surveys, local and
regional planning efforts, etc.
5.The State of Minnesota Office of Energy Transition should further support the
development of peer to peer networks and coalitions to bring forward the collective
voice of small communities to the state and federal government.
6. Work with the Federal Government for resources for Federally Recognized tribes to
access federal assistance for power plants abutting power plants their land.
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7.Long-term environmental impacts may be unknown today. Need to monitor and
address environmental impacts.
8.Funding and resources before during and after closure for mental health needs of the
workers, their families and the overall community.
Existing State Programs that might support impacted communities and the effectiveness of each
programs response to the effects of the impacted community:
The following programs were reviewed and analyzed:
Key Findings:
Communities and employees have a long relationship with the Power plants. We need to
anticipate strong feelings regarding the closure. Communication with the community and
employees throughout the process is important.
Community engagement is an important part of the decommissioning process. Engage
with the community well in advance of the plant closure to develop plans and next steps.
Community engagement must continue during the closing process and after the plant is
closed.
It is important to ensure that future generations are aware of coal ash areas and the special
environmental needs and restrictions of those areas including planting and development
restrictions.
Conversations with the community shall be timely. The process will be thoughtful and
with an established deadline/timeline. Measurable rules and guidelines.
It is helpful to have community input to learn what communities need to thrive after
energy facilities close.
It may take several years before community engagement efforts are productive.
Communication efforts in the local communities take time.
It is important to follow-up after community conversations.
It is important to manage community expectations around planning for the redevelopment
and economic revitalization plans in a community. This includes the funding and other
resources available.
It is important to form a community committee early and plan for the future. It is critical
to have all stakeholders, including legislative leaders, engaged early to be productive.
Public engagement is critical to assess concerns, impacts, identify opportunities and
ideas.
Communities must lead the way and drive their roadmaps.
Having the power company at the table and involved is important.
It is important to bring the unions/worker representation into conversations/planning
efforts early.
In carrying out public engagement, efforts should be cautious, specific and tailored.
There are concerns that widespread engagement will cause panic among public and will
be counterproductive.
Uncertain or shrinking plant closure times makes community planning difficult.
Plant closure dates that change and move nearer are seen with high anxiety for
community residents, who want to be communicated with and involved in the process as
far in advance as possible. The challenges moving closure dates represent to local
communities is great in their transition planning.
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Huge tax base reductions makes financing the planning efforts difficult. Educate on how
the community is addressing the tax base situation.
There is not always the community staff capacity to clearly understand and tackle these
large scale community projects.
Both state and, to a greater extent, federal financial assistance programs are difficult to
access because they require much up-front planning and investment to put forth a
competitive application/project.
There can be a lack of engagement and communication with power companies. Often the
communities feel they are not being kept abreast of developments that could impact their
plans, tax base, and future.
There is a real concern by communities for the welfare of their citizens who are displaced
by plant closure and what it means for the larger community, businesses, and schools
when entire families must move away for work.
In some instances power plants collaborated across state lines to share resources and work
together on transition efforts.
It was noted that the larger the partnership, the less ownership partners take in the overall
project, perhaps assuming other partners will drive efforts.
Partners that assisted and supported communities with closing or transitioning power
plants include state and federal legislators, utilities, environmental groups, the Just
Transition Fund, unions (especially for re-training), the Department of Labor (to identify
local skills sets and possible employment avenues), and universities (for both conducting
helpful research and to offer programs in IT and engineering fields in the region).
State of Minnesota economic development agencies that were reported as helpful to the
transition process included the Department of Employment and Economic Development
and the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board.
Social and cultural implications are integral to successful transition efforts.
The Coalition of Utility Cities was also reported as a key partnership to help advance the
interests of impacted communities.
Educational facilities were also mentioned as providing research assistance in some
instances.
Power plants impacted the environment. Need to monitor and address impacts within the
environment to prevent future further environmental impacts.
Acknowledgement that the Power Plant after closure is important to the history of the
community and for the reflection process of the worker and their family. A piece of art
or historical marker, which may include a statue, mural or marker at the plant location
should be erected. The State of MN has Art Legacy funds that Impacted Communities
might want to apply for the artistic work.
Acknowledgement that the Power Plant cultural past prior to the power plant. In the
location of Prairie Island, the former burial grounds were disturbed and a plan working
with Prairie Island Community to address the removal shall take place.
Acknowledgement that the power plant was more than just a business. The history,
impact on the community and how it shaped the area is important.
Encourage the States Arts Board and the Regional Arts organizations to prioritize artistic
representations for the power plants impact on the community.
BEST PRACTICES
Outreach/Planning/Advocacy
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Creating a community task force like in Oak Park Heights or utility-led Community
Advisory Panels (CAP’s) such as in Cohasset, Hoyt Lakes, and Taconite Harbor. This
creates a formalized and constant communication line between the energy company and
community.
Other potential partners named in many interviews to work in unison potentially as a joint
commission include labor, local politicians, industry representatives, climate activists,
scientists, think tanks, and environmentalists.
Holding informal or formalized community conversations where all voices are heard and
collectively plan for the future. An example is community conversations/survey work in
Granite Falls or a formalized regional summit that is planned for October 2021 for Itasca
County/Cohasset.
Energy transition should be considered part of city and county comprehensive planning
efforts. Coordination of land use planning between abutting jurisdictions is critical.
Utility company led site master planning that uses a full-service firm from start to
redevelopment of the site.
Cities and Counties along with Federally Recognized Tribes and the State need to be at
the table sooner with the power companies to plan for redevelopment on sites pending
plant closures. Example: Oak Park Heights is very limited on land for development. The
King Plant site owned by Xcel needs a viable tax-base and high wage job business
development alternative once the plant closes in 2028. This redevelopment requires
additional expertise.
Communication is two-way with people speaking and listening.
Participation at the capitol early to influence and stimulate action by the legislature.
Seek help from the regional development commissions, the Initiative Foundations, and
other major economic development partners in development and implementation of local
community transition plans.
The use of data was recommended as critical to successful efforts. Economic
development agencies were named as being useful to such data-gathering efforts.
In some instances, consulting companies were paired with communities to support
planning and implementation.
Studies have been done by partnering educational institutions on plant re-use and
environmental reviews.
Building Community Capacity (Technical, Financial, and Legislatively)
Establish and participate in peer-to-peer mentoring and networking program among coal
and nuclear transition communities and with other communities (in the state and around
the country) that have experienced or are undergoing similar transitions - connect with
other communities that have or are currently going through transition to share ideas and
experiences
Allocate funding for impacted communities to build the local staffing and expertise they
need to develop their local transition strategies. This would include support for them to
work on other economic and community development issues (housing, childcare,
broadband, tourism, business retention and expansion (BR&E), community planning,
grant writing, etc.). Examples: East Range Joint Powers Board and Itasca Economic
Development Corp. receiving grant funding via federal and state agencies to support local
economic development staffing.
Allocate funding for impacted communities to implement their local transition strategies.
State government needs to be proactive in developing targeted economic assistance
programs that help communities implement transition strategies including but not limited
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to: jobs transitioning (retraining programs), industry recruitment to create replacement
jobs (DEED), shovel ready site work and marketing to recruit businesses with the goal of
helping offset reductions in tax base and lessen the impact to a community when this
happens. Becker was instrumental in lobbying for the Community Energy Transition
Grant program. This program should expanded outside of Xcel areas and to allow for
recommendations in this report.
Targeted financial assistance via infrastructure grants to these communities: Physical
infrastructure investments are not inexpensive for a community, but greatly contribute to
that community’s ability to recruit replacement industry and businesses.
Marketing support for business recruitment is essential in establishing the benefits of the
community as part of BR&E and business recruitment strategies.
Communities facing power plant closures and transitions need access to resources to
assist with grant writing efforts in order to be successful.
The Community Engagement Committee was comprised of:
Michael Childs, Jr (Prairie Island Native American Community)
Jamie Fitzke Center for Energy and Environment
Tamara Lowney (Itasca Economic Development Corporation
Mary McComber (City of Oak Park Heights),
Jon Van Nurden (MN Department of Revenue)
Darek Vetsch (Wright County)
The committee met monthly in a virtual format. The Committee first determined what
success on their portion of the plan meant for them. The following guided them in their
determination and was presented to the entire ETAC at their May 2022 meeting:
• Educating ourselves on plant closures dates and process
• Important for Community and Power Plants to work together. This includes our
impacted Native American communities.
• Anticipated impacts from the entire process within the entire community
• Important that the engagement includes all people within the community.
• Plan must include need for consultants to work with communities for a non-bias
perspective (community education, marketing funds, grant writing and administration, re-
branding, etc.) is important. The closure will have a financial, emotional, mental health,
visual, etc. impact. Plans need to be updated as needed
• What grants, funding exist to help today? What gaps can we identify?
• Best practices from other communities on their engagement from beginning to complete
redevelopment
The Community Engagement Task force used the following in their research and analysis
Presentations by:
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Bill Swanson, Otter Tail Power
Colleen Eddy, DEED Shovel Ready Program
Kristin Lukes, DEED Redevelopment Grant Program
Denise Wilson, EQB Environmental Review Program Director
Jennifer Cady, Mn Power
Tami Gunderzik – Xcel Energy PIE
Research:
Minnesota Business Vitality Sprint on Community Energy Transition
Colorado Just Transition Plan
Fergus Falls Power Plant closing plan and documents
Penn State Community Engagement Strategies
Headwaters Economics, Communities at Risk for Closing Power Plants
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Economic Diversification – 8.16.22 – DRAFT 3
Goal
To develop recommendations for how the State and other key actors can assist coal transition
communities in Minnesota as they develop and implement community-based and locally-driven
re-use strategies to retain coal transition workers and promote good new jobs, economic diversity
and long-term community vitality. Minnesota State Statute 116J5491 defines "Impacted
community" means a municipality, Tribal government, or county in which an impacted facility is
located.
Recommendations & Strategies
To achieve this goal, we suggest a long-term partnership in which the State meets communities
where they are, ensures they drive their own process, and provides the resources, technical
assistance and other expertise to help them achieve their own visions. The economic transition of
coal communities will be a long-term undertaking, and the State’s commitment should be long-
term as well. We believe the communities that continue to thrive will be those that have clear
visions for the future and the ability to achieve those visions. Our recommendations prioritize
community resilience, economic diversity, equity, creation of local wealth, long-term business
development and expansion, and stable jobs that pay living wages and provide good benefits.
Assist affected communities with the creation of local transition plans that pivot from
power plant to new industry sectors that provide living wages and an adequate tax base.
Align and coordinate existing State programs to support local transition plans and
facilitate the growth of existing businesses while attracting new industries and businesses.
Invest in local physical and community infrastructure to maintain and improve quality of
life and critical services.
Establish a state-wide independent investment intermediary focused on leading and
structuring investments in coal transition communities, consistent with their established
local transition plans.
Establish a state-wide investment fund focused on making investments in coal transition
communities, in collaboration with those communities and consistent with their local
transition plans. The purpose of the fund is to lower risk for other investors and to
provide a mechanism for long-term investments in these communities.
Local Community Transition plans
o Investing in local leadership, capacity building, and planning to develop,
implement and oversee local transition plans
o Providing funding and technical assistance for the development of
communitydriven plans which are broad-based, collaborative, have community
buy-in, and are attentive to the needs of disproportionately impacted communities
o Requiring a local transition plan to be eligible for further state funding and
support. This can and should draw on existing plans
o Adequately and consistently funding and staffing the implementation of the plans
o Setting short-, mid-, and long-term plans and goals for transition. For example:
Short-
Mid-term: Backfill of tax revenue and funding for workers as
closures/transitions occur
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Long-term: Invest in economic diversification efforts, implement
economic development plans, and implement tax reform.
State Program Alignment with Local Plans
The state should align its programming to support local transition plans and facilitate the
growth of existing businesses to employ additional workers while bringing new industries
and businesses to the area. Specifically, the state should:
o Support the distribution of new business recruitment across the state based on the
unique assets of communities, and prioritize coal transition communities for
business recruitment efforts.
o Provide significant incentives to businesses that relocate to coal transition
communities. These incentives should rival those that are offered for businesses
that relocate from out of state to the Metro area. Rural communities are often
unable to be competitive in these situations.
o Invest in entrepreneurial programs to support local businesses to identify new
markets, uncover industry trends, develop competitive intelligence, identify and
map qualified sales leads, raise visibility in search engine results and increase
website traffic, leverage social media to better connect with customers, and
facilitate increased investment.
o Provide funding for business accelerators, incubators, and co-work spaces
o Provide funding for projects that support community economic development in
line with local community transition plans.
o Direct development of clean energy jobs to coal transition communities.
Investment Intermediary
Establish a legislatively-authorized state-wide independent investment intermediary
focused on leading and structuring investments in coal transition communities. The
purpose will be to ensure new investments support local economic development plans to
create new businesses and jobs, and increase sales tax revenues and property tax values.
The investment intermediary should be intimately connected and mutually accountable to
the local entities that are responsible for oversight of Local Community Transition Plans,
and in some cases it may be appropriate for these two functions to be housed together.
Providing short-term backfill of local tax revenues lost when coal facilities close.
Activities include:
o Identify and structure investment deals based on local plans
o Recruit other investors into deals.
Dedicated Investment Funds
Establish a legislatively-backed state-wide investment fund focused on making
investments in coal transition communities in collaboration with those communities. The
fund will provide capital investments for local deals. This includes:
o A First Risk Capital Fund that will be used to provide the high risk capital
commitment to local investment deals
o A Permanent Investment Capital Fund that will be used to provide long-term
capital to local investment deals.
We recommend that the state reinstates and expands DEED’s Community Energy
Transition Grant Program to support communities beyond Xcel Energy areas currently
eligible/designated. This grant would provide funding for communities to cover a wide
variety of needs, from developing impact and planning studies, to infrastructure
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development and site readiness. Specific areas where communities could choose to
allocate moneys to from this grant include:
o
Economic impact study – Developing impact studies for communities that have
not yet done so is a recommended step to understand the specific funding needs of
impacted communities.
o
Planning – Many impacted communities do not have the capacity to plan for their
transition. Funding is needed to support capacity building to tackle planning
efforts.
o
Infrastructure development – Long-term investments in infrastructure are needed
for economic development and specifically for economic diversification efforts in
impacted communities. DEED’s existing infrastructure funding is helpful but
additional funding may be needed to address infrastructure challenges of these
communities more effectively.
o
Repurposing & site readiness – For impacted communities, readying their sites is
a costly effort. State-level support is needed to help match local funding and help
communities repurpose power plant sites (when this option is available) and/or
develop shovel-ready sites that make economic diversification feasible. For
repurposing power plants, DEED’s Cleanup and Redevelopment Grant and Loan
programs may be an option, but additional financial support may be needed to
complement funding needs of communities for repurposing plant sites and/or for
readying other properties slated for uses identified as part of the communities’
economic diversification efforts.
o
Matching funds for grants – Funding to allow communities to secure the local
match needed to apply for state and federal grants
It is also recommended for the state to consider allocating additional funding towards
business incentives that can support impacted communities with business retention,
expansion, and attraction efforts to allow:
o
Waiving local matching-fund requirements for incentive programs for companies
locating in impacted communities (e.g., one deal waiver per county) to attract new
primary employers and help diversify the economy with a sunset and subject to
review for extension consideration.
o
Committing a specified amount of financial incentives within a defined timeframe
to attract businesses to impacted communities; more money to create deals for
retention and attraction of businesses; not to supplant but to augment.
Allow bonding money to be used to support host communities. Infrastructure is an easy
way for the State to support economic development based on identified developing
industries
Programs through Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and others to
leverage capital as seed investment to reduce risk.
Each impacted community and school has different needs. Important for grants and
programs to be as unique as each community.
Invest in Infrastructure
The state should invest in physical and community infrastructure to maintain and improve
quality of life and critical services. It should maximize the benefit of these investments
by requiring labor standards, domestic content requirements, labor agreements,
community benefit agreements, local hiring, and other provisions that provide direct
benefit to the workforce in the community. Strategies should include:
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o Providing short-term state investment for housing, broadband, healthcare, P12 and
higher education, mental health resources, recreation, arts & culture, and the
public sector workforce
o Providing short-term backfill of local tax revenues lost when coal facilities close
o Providing short-term state investment in roads, rails, and airports, and the public
sector
o Providing technical assistance to plan for long-term recovery of lost local tax
revenues.
Recommendations for state agencies to implement
1. In coordination with the local communities/regions, conduct industry cluster analysis, along
with a skills crosswalk map for each impacted community to identify what other industries the
current workforce skills can be easily transferred to.
2. An immediate action item is to help impacted communities understand the value of
completing in advance the Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) Process for
geographic areas slated for development (giving special priority to those better positioned for
business attraction and expansion projects) and guiding communities through the planning,
application, and execution of the process. Completing AUARs would complement site
readiness efforts and help impacted communities be better positioned to compete for economic
diversification projects, including business attraction and expansions. The shovel ready
funding presented previously should also include the possibility of funding the completion of
AUARs where required.
3. Many impacted communities do not have the resources to implement their own business
attraction, retention, and expansion efforts and have to rely on regional and state-level
economic development organizations to do this on their behalf. It is recommended for the
State, specifically for DEED, IRRRB, and MDA, to prioritize and work with impacted
communities in devising and executing a plan for business development.
4. To drive early successes in local business attraction, retention and expansion, it is
recommended that the State establishes a State Action Team - using the newly approved
Office of Energy Transition as a lead organization – that assists impacted communities in
navigating and maximizing benefits from the very wide array of programs and tools. This
recommendation builds upon the Colorado Just Transition Action Plan. Immediate action
items for this State Action Team, include hosting local educational and resource forums to
encourage participation in existing programs, and developing and expanding remote work
opportunities in transition communities.
5. To support impacted communities that can drive economic diversification by leveraging
existing industry in the mining and other heavy manufacturing sectors, it is recommended that
State review the results of the “Buy Clean study” that the Department of Administration is
currently implementing, with the goal of identifying opportunities to differentiate industries
that comply with clean production practices to position them for market favorability that can
drive greater support and increased value.
6. Impacted communities should be made aware that Minnesota Business First Stop (MBFS)
works with businesses to deliver high-level customer service for complex business expansions,
relocations, and major startups to help streamline the development process across state
agencies.
Key Findings:
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Communities should not get stuck in the frame of mind that energy-based closures
exclusively need energy-based replacements. Diversification was cited as helpful in many
interviews with out-of-state communities. Encouragement was given to explore industries
other than energy when planning for closures and transition, and to focus on appropriate
matches for the regional skills rather than defining the industry first. The goal of all being
thriving, not just surviving, communities.
Stakeholders in many community interviews reported economic diversification as
directly linked to that community‘s successful and sustainable future. Economic
diversification is a strong alternative for communities that need to find new avenues for
growth that help minimize the impacts of power plant closures, build resilience, and offer
renewed opportunities for sustainable socioeconomic wellbeing.
Communities facing power plant closures want to focus on new, innovative business
investments for the future, and are challenged as to how best do this and which partners
could assist this process. Diversifying requires a comprehensive approach that involves
all necessary actors at the local, regional, state, and federal level, and equips communities
with the resources and support mechanisms to adequately address all facets of the
process, from planning to execution.
Impacted communities face major barriers that limit their capacity to diversify their
economies. These barriers are not any different than those that smaller, more rural
communities experience, with high infrastructure costs, lack of resources for housing
development, child care shortages, and weak fiber/broadband infrastructure, being the
most common ones brought up by the communities and stakeholders interviewed. In
addition to housing, child care, and fiber/broadband infrastructure, communities need
investments in utilities and transportation/logistics infrastructure to diversify their
economies. Rural communities nonetheless, were said to present greater challenges
because of fewer diversification options and greater dependence on the power plant.
Business attraction, retention, and expansion efforts allow communities to market
themselves and proactively connect with multipliers (e.g., site selectors) and decision
makers (e.g., companies), positioning themselves as suitable locations for business
investment.
Target industry cluster analysis, along with skills crosswalk mapping, have been
important vehicles for communities to identify opportunities for economic diversification.
As an example, back in 2017, American Electric Power (AEP) and four economic
1
development organizations (EDOs), located in the neighboring states of Kentucky, Ohio,
and West Virginia, launched AppalachianSky, a strategic alliance aimed at leveraging the
tri-region’s strength in metal fabrication workforce and strategic location within an
aerospace corridor, to attract and expand aerospace and aviation industry and jobs. As a
critical step at the beginning of this effort, the partnership completed a comprehensive
regional workforce analysis. The research showed that coal miners have the skills that
aerospace and advanced manufacturing companies need. The study concluded that the
region had eight times the national average of skilled metal workers. This study
constituted the basis for the business recruitment efforts that AppalachianSky conducts as
an economic diversification response to transitioning out of coal mining.
ite readiness is an important component for economic diversification, as it allows
S
communities to increase the inventory of project-ready sites. Site readiness involves at a
minimum, developing critical technical site due diligence items (e.g., wetlands
1
One East Kentucky, Ashland Alliance, Huntington Area Development Council (HADCO), and Southern Ohio Port Authority
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delineation, ALTA survey, geotechnical survey, archeological and cultural resources
survey, endangered species survey) that are required to characterize and understand the
risks and development needs on a site. In a time when project timelines are shorter, site
readiness is becoming much more critical. In some instances, completing the technical
site due diligence is not enough to allow a community to compete for project
opportunities. More often than not, site readiness these days requires the development of
site concept plans, site market studies, construction of site-related upgrades (e.g., utilities
extensions, roads, pad ready), among others.
Power plant sites offer very robust infrastructure. From utilities – power, natural gas,
direct water/waste water intake/discharge – to logistics infrastructure – rail, barge/deep
water port access – power plant sites are generally very attractive for economic
development projects that are heavily dependent on these assets. For these types of
projects, finding greenfield, and even brownfield sites, where all these factors coexist, is
very challenging. If these sites exist, the time, money, and other resources that are
required to plan, run the technical site due diligence, develop, and permit them, make
them highly capital-intensive. If decommissioned power plants can be repurposed and
reused for other industries that require these assets, it is important to have them readily
available to expedite project timelines and minimize the impact of long-term components,
such as permitting, on project schedules.
Permitting is an essential process in economic development. Permitting impacts
infrastructure development and business expansions, which in turn affect a community’s
capacity to diversify their economies. Speeding up the permitting process, and continuous
and transparent communication with businesses and entities going through them, is
paramount. Communities interviewed feel that not all permitting agencies are on the
same page in this area.
Financial incentives are building blocks of business attraction, retention, and expansion
efforts. It is traditionally said that “incentives do not make a bad community look good,
but good communities look better.” Whereas a community needs to first and foremost
ensure that it offers the most important conditions for businesses to succeed in the long
term (e.g., workforce, infrastructure, sites, business environment, quality of life),
incentives help communities close deals and drive projects home.
Economic diversification needs to be looked at primarily through the lens of the quality
of jobs that diverse economic activities can help create. As an example, several
communities and stakeholders interviewed feel apprehensive about solar and wind
projects that are built, because the state of Minnesota is only getting the installation jobs
but not the manufacturing of these renewable energy options, which would be a valuable
industry to attract to this state. It is paramount, for achieving sustainable economic
outcomes, to ensure that economic diversification strategies implemented by impacted
communities produce quality jobs for that community.
Economic diversification requires close coordination and interaction with many different
stakeholders at the local, regional, state, and federal levels. The time needed to build
relationships with all the different partners, including government agencies that
communities need permits/grants/support from is extensive. Identifying who those critical
stakeholders are and building those partnerships well in advance is essential for achieving
successful outcomes.
Leveraging existing partnerships is an effective way to fast track the process. For
example, Monticello participates in the transportation-focused Central Mississippi River
Regional Planning Partnership. This may be a good vehicle/forum for cooperating on
economic diversification.
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All out-of-state communities and stakeholders interviewed, alluded to the fact that it is
necessary to plan for transition well in advance of closure. More often than not, closures
end up occurring sooner than initially announced. As pointed out previously, economic
diversification requires a highly comprehensive approach that demands time and effort.
As a best practice, communities are advised to start planning for this process sooner
rather than later. This will prepare them more effectively to be able to anticipate and
contain the negative impacts from the closure.
Economic diversification planning should not be taken lightly. Economic diversification
will build the path for a community’s growth prospects. Doing it right from the beginning
will increase a community’s chance to succeed. Careful analysis to identify suitable
sectors and markets that communities can shift their focus to, is critical. Market analysis
via industry cluster is a very good option for identifying diverse industry sectors that are
a good fit for a community based on its workforce specialization/concentration, strengths,
and assets.
Aligning target industries identified through market analysis with regional business
recruitment efforts is a best practice to efficiently focus resources on and gain community
buy in as market analysis helps build the business case for a community’s economic
diversification plan.
Investing in site readiness, is a smart way of making sites poised for business attraction,
retention, and expansion, shovel-ready, minimizing risks, costs, and expediting the
timelines in which projects can be developed and become fully operational.
Communities are also encouraged to look beyond their geographical delimitations and
evaluate challenges and opportunities from a regional perspective, seeking common and
unifying denominators. AppalachianSky also offers a great example of regionalization. In
order to maximize resources available for business attraction, retention, and expansion
and develop a wide-ranging, more impactful value proposition, communities can look
beyond their geographical boundaries, and join forces with adjacent communities they
share commonalities with to market the region to leverage each other’s strengths and
assets.
Communities reported wanting grants for research, planning, data to identify exact
current conditions and to help make the case for the need for grants and funding, and
grants to help access federal monies including grant writing.
Common recommendations from successful international energy transition efforts were
to offer tax incentives to attract new businesses into the area, as well as to lower the cost
of living to keep and to attract people to the area.
Communities in transition may need something unique to attract new businesses and
people to the area.
Each impacted community and school has different needs. Important for grants and
programs to be as unique as each community. A one-size-fits all approach will not be
effective for best community outcomes
Economic Diversification Task Force was comprised of:
Rick Evans (Xcel Energy)
Marshall Hallock (City of Red Wing)
Tamara Lowney (Itasca Economic Development Corporation)
Rose Patzer (Minnesota State Energy Center of Excellence)
Shane Zahrt (Flaherty & Hood, P.A.)
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The committee met monthly in a virtual format. The Committee first determined what
success on their portion of the plan meant for them. The following guided them in their
determination and was presented to the entire ETAC at their May 2022 meeting:
• What economic development tools exists? Gaps? Areas that might need modification.
• Unique tools and funding to attract businesses
• Funding for planning, impact studies, economic development studies to attract
businesses
• Understand current infrastructure and transportation of each community to attract
businesses
• State, Fed, non-profit – Funding for re-use and permitting requirements
• Community needs to bring in business – childcare, housing, high speed internet,
transportation enhancements/improvements, infrastructure enhancements/improvements,
job training
• Best practices
The Economic Diversification Task force used the following in their research and analysis
Presentations by:
Adam Walters, State of Pennsylvania, PA Playbooks
Kristin Lukes, DEED
Research:
Minnesota Business Vitality Sprint on Community Energy Transition
Pennsylvanian Playbooks for Coal Plant Redevelopment
Coal at Sunset Podcast
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Re-Use Committee – 8.25.22 – Draft 4
Goal
To help those communities that have power plants that are in transition to develop and
implement locally-driven plans for the re-use of the property.
Recommendations & Strategies
To achieve the goal, the re-use plan must be locally driven, and strong partnerships between the
facility, the local government, and the public are critical to success. Each community and
property owner will have different goals from other communities and property owners. In some
locations re-use might be asset-based plans at the power plant location. In some locations it
might not included asset-based plans, but rather brought back to the original state or rezoned for
a different purpose, including a more recreational use.
Planning grants are important to assist impacted communities for re-use plans. This
includes environmental, infrastructure (includes: water, sewer, stormsewer, roads,
bridges, etc.)
Communicate with Tribal Governments per Minnesota State Statue 10.65.
Communication with Tribal Governments early and often is important. State
Government agencies follow Minnesota State Statue 10.65. It is recommended that
Cities, Counties and townships follow the Statute also in their processes; recognizing that
Tribal Governments are their own government.
ETO office to be a one-stop shop for grant information/grant opportunities
The state can develop programs that can make host communities more competitive in
seeking redevelopment projects.
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The state can provide clarity on the regulatory process by developing informational
materials on regulatory proceedings related to resource acquisition and asset retirement
(including clean up and timing, if possible).
The state could provide connection between the utilities and the communities to
encourage engagement on clean up, timing, and other aspects related to retiring a power
plant.
Playbooks, similar to those in Pennsylvania, for locations that are interested in
commercial and industrial redevelopment.
Existing State Programs that might support impacted communities and the effectiveness of each
programs response to the effects of the impacted community:
The following programs were reviewed and analyzed:
1) DEED Shovel Ready Certification
a.Pros
This program is very important for any site that might pursue industrial
redevelopment. Site selectors prefer shovel ready sites as it reduces the amount of
surprises in the development process.
b. Cons
To obtain the certification the cost can be challenging for many communities.
c. Recommendation
Grant funding &/or assistance for impacted communities to obtain the
certification
2) PUC Land Sale Restrictions per State Statute 216B.50
The State Statute requirement requires the PUC to approve of a purchase or sale of utility
plant for Investor Owned utilities. This action must be completed in advance of the
purchase or sale
a. Pros
Protects the shareholders of the utility
b. Cons
Delays can slow or prevent redevelopment especially for companies that want a
fast-track in their development.
c. Recommendation
__________________________________
3) EQB – AUAR. EAW and EIS
This program evaluates the environmental impacts of development and provides
information to local government decision-makers.
a. Pros
Informs on the impacts of the development on the environment. This includes air,
water, traffic, sound, and other pollution. Environmental assessment and the
permitting process help ensure Minnesota maintains a high quality of life.
b. Cons
Environmental regulations can be seen by developers as adding time to develop
property. The process can be costly.
c. Recommendation
Funding for those cities pursuing an AUAR, EAW or EIS for the redevelopment
of the power plant site to assist in redevelopment efforts
st
4) Minnesota Business 1 Stop
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Minnesota Business First Stop streamlines the development process for complex business
startups, expansions or relocations that involve financing, licensing, permitting, and
regulatory issues that overlap multiple state agencies.
a.Pros
Coordination to reduce development frustration with potential projects. Improve
communication with potential projects as each project is unique and no standard
process exists.
b. Cons
c. Recommendation
5) DEED Redevelopment Grant Program
The Redevelopment Grant Program helps communities with the costs of redeveloping
blighted industrial, residential, or commercial sites and putting land back into productive
use.
a.Pros
Focus on removing blight, job creation, tax base and other public benefits. Funds
for the program are split 50% urban and 50% rural.
b. Cons
Lack of funding from the State Legislature. 50% match.
c. Recommendation
State Legislature to regularly fund the program to ensure program stability and
funds for the impacted communities.
6) Other
Key Findings:
There are industrial developers focused on acquiring and repurposing heavy-industrial
sites, including coal-based power plants. It was reported that when they acquire a site,
they work closely with key stakeholders, communities, and regulators in building a plan
that is compatible with site conditions and the communities’ goals.
Tribal Governments may need to be consulted on the re-use of the property per
Minnesota State Statue 10.65.
Playbooks were used in Pennsylvania to help market, attract and redevelop locations.
These playbooks were attractive for site selectors in answering the property re-use and
use questions.
Land uses replacing coal or nuclear plants can pose their own unique challenges to
orderly development of the rest of the community. Challenges include Federal permits as
many locations are along Federally protected waterways,
Risk transfer for environmental cleanup on a site can be a challenge for a community to
assume However, coordination between the responsible party and the community on the
redevelopment is key.
Seeking ways to repurpose infrastructure, and the permits that that are associated, can
offer high value to a community.
Infrastructure may also need upgrades, extensions to the property or more to assist in
redevelopment which are expensive. Bonding is an option to try to obtain funding.
Full redevelopment of a site is not likely to fully replace the loss of tax revenue so
infrastructure investments need careful consideration.
Community expectations about the nature and character of site redevelopment must be
carefully managed.
Conversations with the property owner in the property evolution is important.
Each location has its own unique challenges and opportunities.
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Important to work with the abutting property owners on the transition of the property for
harmony.
Transportation was seen as a very lengthy planning process that was particularly difficult
to impact.
Site redevelopment for the purpose of tourism was noted as one possible re-use option for
certain regions.
Future-use studies conducted by consulting organizations were cited as helpful to re-use
planning.
The studies need to start early and needs to include an impact analysis, community
engagement, early site planning, and stellar coordination with the Power Plant property
owner, city, county, tribal nations (if applicable), schools, Redevelopment Commissions
(if applicable), non-profit groups, State and Federal resources.
The property to receive Federal EDA funds needs to be included in the CEDS
(Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy) of the region. All cities need to
ensure that their cities have this documentation complete.
Any assets that the power company sells over $100,000 requires PUC approval per State
Statute. This could delay land sales.
Many fly ash sites have been or can be turned to parkland for passive use in perpetuity.
DEED Shovel Ready program can assist in more timely development for new businesses.
The process for certification can be very expensive, however is important to site
selectors.
EQB AUAR is important for the DEED Shovel Ready certification. This is expensive,
but important for the community to determine the environmental impacts of development.
Front-end planning ahead of decommissioning of the plant will allow for the existing
assets of value to remain and be put back to work while those assets that have hit the end
of their useful life can be demolished/removed.
Commission site evaluation studies to determine best future uses before
decommissioning/demolition so that any potential site alterations can be accomplished
Eligible use of any planning funds shall include using facilitators to help
during the process.
communities and the site owner collaborate on redevelopment plans.
The risk transfer model for redevelopment of power plant sites would require
underwriting and taking title to the property, and then striving to recoup costs through
development of the site. Utilities find use of the model attractive.
Reuse of the site for a future energy purpose is not guaranteed. Finding a good use for
the interconnect and associated infrastructure is a priority but the focus should be on
overall economic development for the community.
Care should be taken that land uses replacing coal or nuclear plants fit into a
community’s comprehensive plan.
Infrastructure was mentioned in nearly every community interview as essential to a
community’s sustainable future. When a community faces the loss of a power plant, the
ability to transition existing assets into other uses faces several challenges. Assets are
unique from community to community, and the ability to control those assets varies.
Existing assets can be broadly considered; however, this section will focus on two
categories of assets:
o
Land assets - most often the power plant site but could include ancillary lands and
facilities that are no longer necessary to support energy production.
o
Infrastructure assets – these assets include infrastructure that directly supports
energy production, such as transmission interconnects and power lines; and,
traditional infrastructure such as sewer, water, and streets.
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Land Assets
Many communities face challenges to their ability to expand due to natural features or existing
land uses that constrain expansion. Because of this, the opportunity for reuse means land assets
are often the most valuable assets a community has and offer significant opportunities:
The land is either already within the jurisdiction of the community, or it is adjacent and
can be annexed relatively easily.
Sewer and water services to the site already exist and can be improved cost effectively, if
required.
Street infrastructure and connections to the community exist and can also be improved.
Connections to regional and national transportation networks, such as major highways
and rail service may already be in place.
However, the site may pose challenges as well:
Isolation from other commercial/industrial land uses in the community.
Isolation from major transportation networks limiting potential redevelopment
opportunities.
Inadequate existing city infrastructure including roads, water treatment, etc.
Inadequate utilities sufficient to make the site attractive for other uses (business and
housing).
Inadequate broadband.
Uncertainty about future ownership that limits redevelopment planning.
Uncertainty about continued use by the utility for nuclear waste storage.
Waste storage was another commonly reported concern impacting land re-use options.
Infrastructure Assets
Infrastructure that directly supports energy production may offer some unique opportunities. For
example, interconnects and transmission lines can be reutilized by future energy production and
storage projects. Associated substations can offer high-capacity access to energy intensive
industrial redevelopment.
Existing traditional city infrastructure serving a power plant site may or may not be adequate for
future uses on the site. In particular, the adequacy of sewer and water infrastructure will be
dependent on the scale and type of new uses planned for the site. Similarly, street infrastructure
improvements may be required depending on requirements for new facility design, freight
hauling capacity, and size of workforce. However, upgrading infrastructure is often more cost-
effective for a community then building new infrastructure to a new, more remote site.
The communities involved in this study have offered several observations on what they have
discovered going through the process of transitioning away from being the site of a major
energy production facility.
The Re-Use Committee was comprised of:
Rick Evans (Xcel Energy),
Mary McComber (City of Oak Park Heights),
Craig McDonnell (MPCA),
Richard Sackett (MN Power Employee)
Josh Skelton (MN Power).
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The committee met monthly in a virtual format. The Committee first determined what
success on their portion of the plan meant for them. The following guided them in their
determination and was presented to the entire ETAC at their May 2022 meeting:
• Communities & Power Plant Research:
• What has been done?
• What has been/being planned on site? Long term – environmental, coal
ask, nuclear storage,
• Regulations (Federal, State, local, environmental), ect. for re-use
• Cities and counties planning – Comprehensive Planning, zoning,
utility/infrastructure (streets, water sewer, stormsewer, rail, etc.) /CIP,
financial, impact analysis. Planning needs to start early and be constantly
reviewed.
• State, Fed, non-profit – Funding for re-use and permitting requirements
• Best practices from other Power Plant and other large business reuse
• Important for community and property owner to work together.
The Re-Use Task force used the following in their research and analysis
Presentations by:
st
Chet Bodin, DEED Minnesota Business 1 Stop
Colleen Eddy, DEED Shovel Ready Program
Kristin Lukes, DEED Redevelopment Grant Program
Denise Wilson, EQB Environmental Review Program Director
Research:
Minnesota Business Vitality Sprint on Community Energy Transition
Planning completed by the impacted communities including: Comprehensive Plans,
Capital Improvement Plans, Transportation Plans,
Pennsylvanian Playbooks for Coal Plant Redevelopment
PUC Land Sale Restrictions per State Statute 216B.50
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Tax Base/ Financial Incentives – 8.25.22 – DRAFT 6
Goal
Develop recommendations for how impacted communities can continue to provide stable and
diverse funding for local services, infrastructure, and institutions when revenues from power
plant activities decline or go away completely. This includes policies that encourage investments
in assets that continue to generate wealth and increase the resilience and capacity of local
institutions. It also includes strategies that identify, organize and support investment
opportunities and create mechanisms that allow private and public capital to co-invest in a
manner that reduces risk.
Recommendations & Strategies:
Transition Aid for impacted cities, counties and schools. With a program sunsetting at a
time X years after the last power plant closure. Utilizing the following criteria:
o Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings
given.
o “Electric generation property” means taxable property of an electric generating
plant owned by a public utility, as defined in section 216.02, that is powered by
coal, nuclear, or natural gas, and location in an eligible taxing jurisdiction.
o “Electric generating unit” means a single solid fuel-fired steam generating unit at
an electric generating plant that serves a generator that produces electricity for
sale to the electric grid.
o “Eligible taxing jurisdiction” means a county, home rule charter or statutory city,
town, or school district.
o “Unit base year” means the assessment year in which the tax capacity of an
electric generating unit is removed from the property tax base due to retirement of
the electric generating unit.
o“Unit differential” means (1) the tax capacity of electric generation property in the
assessment year preceding the unit base year, minus (2) the tax capacity of
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electric generation property in the unit base year. The unit differential may not be
less than zero.
o Required notification. A public utility must notify the commissioner when the
public utility expects to retire an electric generating unit and remove that unit
from the property tax base. The notification must be in the form and manner
determined by the commissioner, must include information required by the
commissioner to calculate transition aid under this section, and must be filed
together with the reports required under section 273.371.
o Unit transition amount. (a) the initial unit transition amount equals the product of
(1) the unit differential, times (2) the jurisdiction’s tax rate for taxes payable in
the unit base year.
o (b) The unit transition amount for the year following the unit base year, or in the
year as provided under subdivision 6, equals the initial unit transition amount.
Unit transition amounts in subsequent years must be reduced each year by an
amount equal to five percent of the initial unit transition amount. If the unit
transition amount attributable to any unit is less than $5,000 in any year, the unit
transition amount for that unit equals zero.
o Electric generation transition aid. Electric generation transition aid for an eligible
taxing jurisdiction equals the sum of the unit transition amounts for that
jurisdiction.
o Commissioner’s duties; payment schedule. (a) The commissioner of revenue
shall compute the amount of electric generation transition aid payable to each
jurisdiction under this section. On or before August 1 of each year, the
commissioner shall certify the amount of aid computed for aids payable in the
following year for each jurisdiction. The commissioner shall pay aid to each
jurisdiction annually at the times provided in section 477A.015.
o (b) The commissioner of revenue may require counties to provide any data that
the commissioner deems necessary to administer this section.
o Aid for prior unit retirements. An electric generating unit with a unit base year
after 2016 but before 2022 must be counted for the purpose of calculating aid
under this section. For a unit eligible to be counted under this subdivision, for the
purpose of the schedule of amounts under subdivision 3, paragraph (b), the unit
base year is 2022.
o Appropriation. An amount sufficient to pay transition aid under this section is
annually appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of revenue.
Legislative recommendation:
Other states have provided transition aid to host communities through property tax
revenue loss-based formulas. One suggestion from another state that has implemented
this kind of program was to design the tax base aid such that those communities with
greater loss of tax base get more aid than those with less tax base loss. The levy-based
property tax system of Minnesota does not align with a direct revenue loss-based
transition aid. However, Minnesota could provide transition aid to host communities
through new or amended grant or local government aid programs. A grant program would
be more useful for a targeted transition goal and a local government aid would be more
useful for a general transition goal.
Recommendations for state agencies to implement
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Some communities expressed interest in the state providing additional support in
obtaining grants and competing for federal opportunities. The Energy Transition Office
should compile and coordinate agency resources to provide this type of assistance.
There was also interest in establishing a statewide independent investment intermediary
focused on leading and structuring investments in transition communities coupled with
establishing a statewide investment fund with two components: (1) a “First Risk Capital
Fund” to make short-term local commitments to lower the risk for investors; and (2) a
“Permanent Investment Capital Fund” to provide long-term capital. The Energy
Transition Office could investigate the feasibility of forming such an intermediary, other
public/private/philanthropic partnerships, and other creative financing mechanisms for
mission-based investing.
Guiding Principals for Recommendations;
Tax Base. The impact on tax base may be moderate to severe, depending on the community and
institution, and likely enough to justify existing avenues for state or national assistance for the
local governments. The existing formula for Local Government Aid (LGA), County Program
Aid (CPA) and Fiscal Disparities (Cohasset and Oak Park Heights) will likely move more dollars
to these areas over time. However, the type of activities needed to plan and prepare community
response would likely benefit from more intensive and specific technical assistance and potential
tax base reduction relief before a plant shuts down. Some past efforts to alleviate impact (e.g.,
equalization of school funding) have real but narrow impacts that may not extend to the full
community (e.g., city or county services).
The closure of an existing power plant can have significant impacts on the tax base in a
taxing jurisdiction depending on the size and makeup of the total tax base. These impacts
may include tax shifting and changes in the stability of the tax base.
There were concerns reported in many in-state interviews about raising local taxes for
residents and businesses to cover the reduction in tax base when power plants close. This
was seen as a disincentive for people to remain in the area and therefore could mean a
larger community and business exodus than that due to loss of jobs related to the plant
closure.
Key considerations included the identification of both state and federal financial resources
to assist energy transition. The factor of timing was identified as sometimes unknown, and
critical to successfully utilizing the resources available.
Some examples of successful energy transitions outside of Minnesota included
equalization of school district funding, however, this equalization did not extend to
library, fire and other districts that may suffer from inequitable funding support.
Experiences from other states tell us that it cannot be assumed that plant replacement in
transitioning communities will equally supplant current tax base reductions and that
replacement energy also cannot be assumed to be the solution. Solutions need to be
matched to an area‘s workforce and their specific situation.
Many tax base funding grants decrease over time and therefore need offsetting financial
support planning. Recommendations included that funding should be distributed to those
hardest hit in regions where power plants are closing or transitioning.
Energy is a fast changing field, so communities should remain flexible and work with
stakeholders that have resources and are able to contribute to the region and its needs.
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Several out-of-state communities requested cooperation in the creation of federal
assistance programs to assist states in efforts to successfully close and transition fossil
fuel plants.
Other energy sources such as solar and wind do not provide nearly enough taxes that the
power plant pays. Reliance on taxes on other energy resources needs to be in conjunction
to other tax creating opportunities.
Power plants and their workers contribute not only to the community in which the power
plant is located, but to the region. The impact is significant.
It takes years for LGA, CPA and Fiscal disparities to adjust due to their formulas.
Transition aid will help during this time to off-set the timing.
It takes years to re-development power plant land in order to create new development.
Transition aid will help during this time to off-set the timing.
Sunset for any legislative program allows the legislature to review and determine if
modifications/adjustments are needed.
Prairie Island does not receive taxes from the Prairie Island Power Plant.
A constant revenue stream versus a yearly ask for funds is better to assist communities to
plan for their future. More efficient.
Many options and models from other states and other businesses closures were reviewed. In
reviewing, it was determined that the best practice is to keep the solution to the problem simple
and to not over complicate with lengthy applications, reports or other complexities that may
prevent the community for pursuing.
BEST PRACTICES
Identified best practices for impacted communities include:
Proactive tax diversification
Proactive budget review and planning
Identification of opportunities based on regional strengths
Economic development and diversification
Adequate timing for taking proactive steps requires open disclosure of decommissioning plans
by electric utility companies. Regulated utilities in Minnesota are required to provide planned
retirement dates in public filings, so host communities may be able to obtain current information
without additional disclosure by utility companies. Regardless of whether the exact date of plant
closure is known, host communities should anticipate and plan for eventual closure.
Communities would likely find the following to be helpful:
Working with fiscal experts to identify specific funding options, including repurposing
existing revenue streams and tax expenditures, developing other sources of funding, and
other fiscal strategies for lawmakers to consider
Working with economic development experts in long-term planning
Working with economists and subject matter experts in state government to develop
estimates of program costs and revenue impacts to individual taxing districts in transition
communities to identify funding needs and appropriate next steps
Continue, start or enhance Business Retention and Expansion programs to enhance
location economic development efforts. The University of Minnesota Extension has
resources for the communities that the State could fund.
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Many communities expressed challenges related to taking the above steps and identified that
financial support is helpful. Financial support may take various forms, such as grants and aid.
Host communities should take advantage of relevant programs.
Tax Base Task Force was comprised of:
Michael Childs, Jr. (Prairie Island Native American Community)
Rick Evans (Xcel Energy)
Marshall Hallock (City of Red Wing)
Tamara Lowney (Itasca Economic Development Corporation)
Mary McComber (City of Oak Park Heights)
Josh Skelton (Minnesota Power)
Jon Van Nurden (Minnesota Department of Revenue)
Darek Vetsch (Wright County)
Dan Weber (Sherburne County)
Shane Zahrt (Flaherty & Hood, P.A.)
The committee met twice-monthly in a virtual format. The Committee first determined what
success on their portion of the plan meant for them. The following guided them in their
determination and was presented to the entire ETAC at their May 2022 meeting:
• Recognizing that the impacts on tax base and the need for financial assistance for cities,
counties, Native American communities, schools and other taxing jurisdictions
• Need to understand LGA, CPA, solar and wind taxing, and how power plants are taxed
• Need for tools and assistance for the tax base that is lost
• Need for incentives to redevelopment property to start filling in tax base
• Communication for the community to understand the tax base current, future
• Need for great communication on closure dates as some have changed.
• Importance of financial planning for the fiscal impacts
• Look at best practices of other US closure locations on tax base financial assistance
The Tax Base Task force used the following in their research and analysis
Presentations by:
Rick Evans, Xcel Energy
Nick Greene, Department of Revenue
Jon Van Nurden, Department of Revenue
Research:
Minnesota Business Vitality Sprint on Community Energy Transition
New York Electric Generation Facility Cessation Mitigation Program
California Just Transition
Colorado Just Transition
2022 Coalition of Utility Cities, MN Legislative proposal
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Securitization from Union of Concerned Scientists
Midwest Governor’s Association
Sherburne County Memo on tax implications
New Mexico Energy Transition Act
Illinois Transition plan
RDA/RDF
Workforce – 8.24.22 – Draft 4
Goal
Workers displaced from power plant closures should receive the support necessary to plan
effectively for their transition and achieve new career goals and allow them and their families to
thrive economically and continue to contribute to Minnesota and their communities. Ensure the
impacted workers who have powered Minnesota are assisted during the transition.
Guiding Principles for Recommendations
1) The Energy Omnibus bill passed in 2021 requires that utilities provide a resource plan to the
Public Utilities Commission. This resource plan, that has scheduled the retirement of a plant
facility, must include in their resource filing: a narrative describing the utility’s efforts, in
conjunction with the utility’s workers and the workers’ designated representative, to develop
a plan to minimize the dislocations employees may suffer as a result of the facility’s
retirement. The narrative must address, at a minimum, plans to:
a. If possible, retrain to employ within the company should there be an opportunity;
b. Minimize financial losses to workers;
c. Provide a transition timeline to ensure certainly for workers;
d.Protect pension benefits;
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e. Extend or replace health insurance, life insurance, and other employment benefits;
f. Provide training and skill development for workers who must, or choose to leave, the
utility;
g. Create targeted transition plans for workers at all locations impacted by the facility
retirement;
h. Quantify any additional costs the utility would incur and specifying what costs. If
any, the utility would request to recover costs in the utility’s rates as a result of efforts
made under this subdivision to minimize impacts to workers.
2) Importance of transition planning that includes a combination of services and benefits
designed to encourage and support self-directed transitions that maximize options and help
workers maintain self-sufficiency.
3) Partnerships in communication and collaboration between workers, employers, labor unions
and the State that begins prior to separation from employment and continues throughout the
transition.
4) In order to be effective, re-training efforts need to be carefully planned. Training needs to be
flexible as training and education will evolve over time.
5) Direct income support, post closure of facility, should be temporary and designed to facilitate
the transition to continued self-sufficiency. Sliding scale of support based on age and length
of service.
6) Equitable treatment of workers.
7) Important to consult with Tribal nations and communities of color that have experienced
disproportionate barriers to employment due to systemic racism. For example, as
recommendations on work force transition are developed, there is an opportunity to create
programs or policies that enhance equity rather than reinforce it. A parallel track approach,
of consulting with both plant communities and those that were not at the table when the
current energy system was developed, will maximize opportunity for all.
8) Use a broad definition of affected workforce that includes directly impacted workers covered
by CBAs, directly impacted workers not covered by CBA, and affected workers not
employed at transition plants – including local workers and those aging into the labor market
during transition such as the communities youth. Be mindful of the connections between this
broad workforce and the wider community. Seek strategies to attract and retain businesses
and bring investment into these communities for more employment opportunities – important
in many locations as the power plants are generally inrural communities.
9) Recognition that each community is different with different opportunities and challenges for
the transitioning worker. For example: one community needs better high speed internet
access, but another does not. Flexibility for the individuality is important.
10) Recognition that over time the economy may change, and with the change, may change the
needs of the impacted worker.
11) Resources to address the mental health needs of impacted workers, their families and the
community.
12) A robust plan with actionable steps and tangible outcomes.
13) Recognition that each impacted community has different job opportunities, thus different
training opportunities is expected.
14) Employees may not want to relocate for new jobs, including jobs within their company.
15) Employees are all in different points within their career path and different family needs. This
includes retirement, spouses career, children, etc.
16) Jobs and careers are evolving, need for the plan to evolve with the changes and be flexible to
those changes.
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17) Desire for the outcomes to be tangible, measurable and used as a model for other business
transitions.
18) Recognition that youth in the community may have been planning for their careers to be at
the power plant.
19) Support and acknowledge the retired and transitioning worker that has strong emotional ties
to the power plant. This includes the impact of their work on the overall economy of the
region.
20) Utility workers have a history of commitment to their employers with long tenure. With that,
the utility workers have also a history of good pay, good benefits and pride in their work.
21) Utility workers have extensive training and are quality and safety focused.
22) Different State agencies impact different parts of the plant closure; DEED the worker; PUC
the business; and Commerce the rate-payers. Need for all three to work together when a
plant is in the process of closing to work harmoniously together.
23) IRRRB has a great model in assisting transitioning employees. A model like theirs for power
plant closures should be reviewed. IRRRB works with businesses to ensure that training
programs meet their business requirements. Their funding is from a tax that ensures a
continuous flow that is important for programming.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Supporting Directly Impacted Workers
1. Mental Health resources for communities leading up to, during and after plant
closure. A. Many unions have resources for their members. Non-union, family
members and community members may need resources due to plant closure
impacts
2.Work with Congressional Members and other states to advocate for a federal
program to back efforts for dislocated workers, and that goals of such efforts
should focus on:
Planning staff and capacity building for communities
Money to attract and retain businesses
Seed investment capital to reduce risk
3. Power plant closures are unique and have the purview of the Public Utilities
Commission, therefore the below processes will need to be adjusted to fit this
unique sector:
State Rapid Response
a. Early notification of employer downsizing/closing.
b. Develop an Early Warning Network and Indicators.
c. Asset Mapping: Continue to build on the existing work of identifying key
resources in the community that have the potential to provide assistance to the
targeted employer/employees.
d. Develop and implement strategy notification of employer downsizing.
e. Feasibility evaluation and consultation by Rapid Response team.
f.Provide customized aversion strategies or rapid response (RR) services as
needed.
g. Do you want to add extending Unemployment Benefits to cover training after
plant closure?
h. Do you want to add allowing Dislocated Worker services for the employee to
access, including training, prior to plan closure?
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i. Early retirement options if it is feasible for the employer/ employees
4. Work with state agencies to identify appropriate funding sources, including state
and federal, for a fund specific to energy workers being affected by plant closures
from 2023 to 2040 - this could be an Open Appropriation. The funds would be
used specifically to address workforce development needs such as upskilling, and
assistance with job transition to clean energy/electricity positions.
Recommendations for Affected Local Workforce
5. Engage the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Board (MJSB) to look at
programmatic development using the boards 6% funds in partnership with local
educational institutions and businesses to upskill affected workforce and place
them into new jobs.
i. Use funds in 5 to support Sectorial Training Program providers or
approaches (curricula) with demonstrated positive impacts on earnings and
sectorial employment.
6. Work with the IRRRB, DEED and appropriate Federal Agencies for funding and
resources for the impacted workers.
7. Support of activities to enhance workforce diversity and inclusion efforts which
would include encouraging and funding cultural competency training for trade
unions and workforce development organizations. Workforce retraining or
training programs should be designed to, enhance equity rather than reinforce
disparities. Consult with frontline communities and communities that have
experienced systemic racism and barriers when developing programs. Prospective
employers should be encouraged to consider:
a. Establishing data tracking on employee demographics and pay;
b.Encouraging employee recruitment from outside typical networks;
c. Monitoring promotion patterns and eliminating biased language in job
descriptions; and,
d. Evaluations and striving to eliminate harassment in the workplace.
8. Provide support for new workers/youth aging into the local labor force in affected
transition communities. Examples of potential support:
a. Summer Youth Employment programs for high school teens (currently only
offered in larger metros)
b. Enhance Pell support for high school graduates in affected communities seeking
post-secondary education or consider local Promise programs.
c. Provide on-ramps for youth and younger workers to provide sectoral training
programs, in item 5. above.
7a. Back previous MBVC CTE in High School Recommendations:
a.Build executive leadership in the state through development of statewide quality
criteria, use of incentivized grant programs, and professional development
opportunities.
b. Inform industry leadership through statewide career & technical education advisory
committees.
c. Increase legislative leadership through the creation of statewide career & technical
education legislative councils.
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MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE
ENERGY TRANSITION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA
REGULAR MEETING
HYBRID OVER TEAMS AND PHYSICALLY AT THE
CITY OF OAK PARK HEIGHTS, CITY HALL
TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2022
1) Call to Order and Roll Call
The Energy Transition Advisory Committee met in Regular Session and ETAC Chair Marshall
Hallock welcomed all in attendance, thanked the City of Fergus Falls and Staff for hosting the
meeting and called the meeting to order at 11:00am at the City Council Chambers, City of
Fergus Falls City Hall in Fergus Falls, MN. Roll call was taken.
Attendee NameRepresentation Voting Status
Status
Chair Marshall Impacted Community Voting Present
Hallock
Vice-Chair Impacted Community Voting Present
Tamara Lowney
Michael James Prairie Island Indian Community Representative Voting Present
Childs Jr
Shelly Speaker of the House Appointment Voting Present
Christensen
Richard Evans Utilities That Operate an Impacted Facility Voting Present
Jamie Fitzke Nonprofit Organization with Expertise and Voting Present
Experience Delivering Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Programs
Mike HoppeImpacted Workers at Impacted FacilitiesVoting Present
Luke Lallemont Impacted Workers at Impacted FacilitiesVoting Absent
KarinHousleySenate Majority AppointmentVotingPresent
Mary McComber Impacted Community Voting Present
Jennifer McEwen Senate Minority Appointment Voting Present
Shane Mekeland House Minority Leader AppointmentVoting Present
Kristin Renskers Impacted Workers at Impacted FacilitiesVoting Present
Richard James Impacted Worker Employed by Company Under Voting Present
Sackett Contract
Joshua SkeltonUtilities That Operate an Impacted Facility Voting Present
Derek VetschImpacted Community Voting Present
Abigail Wozniak Professional Economic Development or Workforce Voting Present
Retraining Experience
Shane Zahrt Coalition of Utility Cities Voting Present
Beth BinczikGovernor’s Designee Non-Voting Present
Steve GroveCommissioner of Employment & Economic Non-Voting Present
Development
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Kevin LeeCommissioner of Commerce DesigneeNon-VotingPresent
Craig McDonnellCommissioner of the Pollution Control Agency’s Non-Voting Absent
Designee
Jeremy ParkerCommissioner of Labor & Industry Designee Non-Voting Present
Rose PatzerColleges & Universities DesigneeNon-Voting Absent
Katie Sieben Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Non-Voting Absent
Commission or Designee
Jon Van NurdenCommissioner of Revenue’s DesigneeNon-Voting Present
Will SeuffertExecutive Secretary of the Public Utilities Non-Voting Present
Commission or Designee
Others Present: NeTia Bauman (Greater Fergus Falls), Klara Beck (City of Fergus Falls),
Andrew Bremseth (City of Fergus Falls), Trisha Duncan(Xcel Energy), Jeff Ewart (Midwest
Governor’s Association), Jolene Foss (Wright County Economic Development Partnership), Dan
Knudson (City of Fergus Falls), Dan Pfeiffer (Xcel Energy), Ben Schierer (City of Fergus Falls)
and Darin Solberg (Otter Tail Power).
DEED Staff: Catalina Valencia and Carla Vita
2) Welcome by Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer
Mayor of Fergus Falls, Ben Schierer, welcomed the ETAC. He informed that their coal
power plant plant closed May 2021 and the financial impact will be felt in 2023. The
impact anticipated is $5.5 to $6 Million annually.
Mayor Schierer informed that Otter Tail Power was a great partner with the community
with the closure. They worked together on planning for the closure for approximately 6
years. The plant closure impacted 15 people, the remainder either retired or were
relocated in other parts of the business.
The former power plant location has extensive utilities. 550 to 600 acres of the property
will be redeveloped for solar. That will assist with a portion of the tax base gap.
The City received a $50,000 EDA Planning grant. More planning funds were/are needed.
He stated that the City has good expertise, but funds for more specific expertise on the
power plant closure is needed.
He stated that redevelopment and economic diversification is important. He described an
economic development issue that they have noticed is that businesses require TIF (tax
increment financing) that removes the property off the tax roles for a period of time with
no immediate taxes to assist the gap from the plant closure. Thus a long-term funding
strategy is needed. Mayor Schierer informed that long-term economic development is
needed.
Hallock thanked Mayor Schierer.
3) Presentation by Jesse Heier, Executive Director Midwest Governor’s Association,
Presentation on the MGA Power Plant Community Planning Report and next steps
Jeff Ewart, Deputy Director of the Midwest Governor’s Association presented on behalf
of Jesse Heier. Ewart educated on the association that covers 12 states in the Midwest.
MN Governor Walz was last year’s Chair and his platform was “Empowering
Midwestern Communities” – focus on creating economic opportunities in the energy
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sector. One is MID-GRID 2035 and the other is Preparing Midwestern communities for
the energy transition.
In preparation of a report on energy transition, many meetings were held. From those
meetings that had numerous presenters, a report was created with next steps and
recommendations. They started on July 21 on quarterly meeting on topics related to
transition. Last week’s topic was “Show me the money.” The next meeting is planned
for September.
4) Presentation by Dan Pfeiffer, Xcel Energy, Economic Development efforts in MN and
Transition in other states
Pfeiffer thanked ETAC for being asked to present. He educated where Xcel Energy
provides electricity over 8 states. He informed that the Economic Development portion
of Xcel Energy is interested in business retention and expansion. Customer growth,
investment and jobs are important. He stated that the real estate is important as the
correct location and leveraging real estate needs are critical for business development.
Pfieffer stated that Xcel supports DEED with incentives to lure business within MN
within their territory. He discussed certified sites that are becoming increasingly
important for business location. He informed on their remarketing program on existing
structures. He stated that the demand for larger sites exist, including Mega sites.
Pfieffer stated that the Sherco property in Becker was built in the 1970’s. They
purchased significant land including land to buffer other uses from the power plant.
Originally the site had space planned for additional coal plant generators than what exists
today. As the Becker location closes, they are working with the City to try to replace tax
base and jobs. Some qualities that make Becker stand out in economic development
include: infrastructure, Highway 10, close to I 94, plenty of power, city is extending
water and sewer, next to Mississippi River, abuts BNSF rail, great workforce and good
telecom. He stated that Becker is great to work with and they have a shared vision. Xcel
has started an AUAR for 1500 acres.
Pfieffer informed on a new Xcel Energy tool called the Zoom Prospector to highlight
realestate on their website. The site has information on workforce, demographics and
more. This item just started a few weeks ago.
Pfieffer stated that Xcel has another site in Oak Park Heights. The site is smaller than
Becker, however they are working with the city on plans for the future
Foss, Wright County Economic Development, inquired to Xcel’s Mega sites. Pfieffer
informed that they are sites of 1000 acres, 100 MgWatts, rail and water. Sites do not
need to be contiguous.
Lowney inquired if Xcel Energy’s shovel ready program is their own or a part of
DEED’s. Pfieffer stated that Xcel Energy has a program to cover all their locations.
Their program works well with the DEED program. Pfieffer educated that many states
and cities have their own certified program and discussions on a national shovel ready
program have occurred. Pfieffer stated that MN DEED’s Shovel Ready program is well
done.
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Lowney stated that shovel ready and promotion is important to the ETAC needs. Pfieffer
educated that sites have certification for differing uses and that he works with DEED to
promote sites.
Wozniak inquired to the demand for sites and the type of demand. Pfieffer stated that
there is demand for cryptocurrency. Southern states are witnessing hydrogen projects.
During COVID 3 industries were especially active – warehouse/distribution, some
looking for cold storage; data centers; and food and beverage companies.
McComber stated that Oak Park Heights has an advisory group on the King Plant closure.
She stated that a request in the bonding bill that did not pass was to extend water and
sewer to that location. Pfieffer stated that no decisions have been made on the Oak Park
Heights location. The property is small. He believes that the substation will stay. He
stated that Xcel is willing to assist in bringing additional business and industry to Oak
Park Heights. McComber educated that environmental reviews are lengthy.
Childs informed that with the development of Prairie Island, remains were removed and
over time Prairie Island Community was able to get the remains back. He stated that he
does not want to see cultural resources destroyed. McComber stated that her location
was a traditional medicine location before the power plant. Pfieffer stated that the
purchaser of the land would be responsible for studies.
Hallock informed that the Re-Use Task Force discussed the importance of the AUAR.
Hallock discussed the Pennsylvania Playbooks as an economic development tool. They
have information on infrastructure, good uses for the site, demographics, land
characteristics, etc. He has found an AUAR makes a site more marketable.
Vetsch inquired to land that cannot be redevelopment due to environmental impacts.
Pfieffer stated that land that was developed was used for agriculture. He stated that the
coal ash location will need to be kept. The land that is being sold in Becker is land is
currently ag and is rented to farmers. He does not believe that the operational area will
be redeveloped. Solberg, Otter Tail Power, stated that they are keeping their coal ash site
and another 10 to 12 acres surrounding for a buffer.
5) Presentation MN Dept of Revenue presentation – Jon Van Nurden, State Assessed Property
Supervisor
Van Nurden presented on utilities and the local tax base. He stated that all MN power
plant sites have hypothetical retirement dates and he stated all within his powerpoint. He
informed that properties have a 2-year cycle – an assessed year and a payable year. The
power plant sites are valued by the State. Location is valued as a unit. Taxable property
and exemptions were discussed along with wind and solar production taxes.
Van Nurden informed that the Department of Revenue disburses CPA and LGA. These
amounts adjust, but a formula prevents large changes year to year.
Van Nurden is recommending transition aid to cover a gap for funding. He informed that
the transition aid presented last year was good. Further recommendations for the plan
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include: to be proactive early, work on diversifying the tax base and consider other fund
sources.
6) Presentation MN Dept of Employment & Economic Development presentation – Catalina
Valencia, Executive Director, Business Development
Valencia’s presentation was tabled until the next meeting.
7) Approve June 28, 2022 Minutes – Roll Call vote
Motion by McComber, second by Lowney to approve the June 28, 2022, minutes as
presented. Roll Call vote passed unanimously.
8) Task Force updates
a)Community Engagement
Childs presented on:
• Researched
• Granite Falls – their power plant will be demolished this fall.
• Education for community on long-term environmental issues – ie Coal
Ash storage that will remain after the plant closes.
• Importance of working with all people, including Native American.
• More presenters are planned
• How to get MN as a priority location.
• The ask was made and the Feds stated, that they “aren’t
updating the “25 priority places” now but would welcome
input regarding transitioning assets, communities, and workers
to inform our planning.” Recommended that communities
with comments please due so with the survey Vita sent
• Plan Recommendation:
• Funds for marketing for impacting communities. (similar to last
month)
No ETAC comments.
b) Economic Diversification
Lowney presented on:
• Presentation by:
• Adam Walters, State of Pennsylvania Playbooks key items:
• Developed to handle a public policy problem
• Each playbook has phase 1 and phase 2 environmental work,
current infrastructure for the site, cost for demolition and
abatement, highest and best use analysis of the property, robust
market analysis – include workforce, demographics, worked
with county, city, colleges/universities/etc. Community vision
was important.
• Funding was ½ US EDA grant and ½ State of PA
• Easy Playbook had a separate RFP, competitively bid
• Playbooks were extensively marketed by PA – in PA and
nationally. State has funding for marketing.
• Had consent of property owners they worked closely and well
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• 2 of the Playbook properties recently sold. He feels Playbooks
helped with the development and interest.
• Time to complete Playbooks was approximately 4 months.
• State Legislature appreciated the Playbooks.
• Kristin Lukes, DEED, Community Transition Grant (2021)
• She answered questions from the Task Force about the history
and current situation with the grants.
• Task Force asked her for advice on how to improve the grants,
if they were to be funded in the future. Issues – each
community is in a different part of the closing process, hard to
compare.
• Points
• MN DEED has not been allocated funds in the past for marketing,
many other states have been given millions to market. Need for
marketing funds for DEED to assist in redeveloping the sites.
• Plan Recommendation:
• Playbooks similar to Pennsylvania for all impacted communities &
property owners that have interest. State &/or Federal funding to
cover the cost.
No ETAC comments.
c)Re-Use of Assets
McComber presented on:
• Presentation:
• Denise Wilson, Environmental Quality Board.
• Different environmental reviews, differences, what they review
and process.
• AUAR (Alternative Urban Area-wide Review) is important for
Shovel-ready certification for redevelopment
st
• Chet Bodin, MN Business 1 Stop
• Interagency group covering 9 agencies, effective in assisting a
developer on the State review process
• He brings the agencies and their funding information together
• Kristin Lukes, DEED Redevelopment
• She educated on the application, eligibility, goals (create jobs,
taxes &/or other public benefits), 50% match, 2 grant rounds
per year,
• Program does not cover environmental costs
• Recently no funding from legislature. DEED leadership moved
money from a different area to fund this important program ($2
to $3M/yr)
• Of importance
• Many power plants are along rivers that are Federally protected
• Rail, infrastructure, etc can all be amenities for redevelopment.
• Community input on re-use of site is important.
• King Plant must have a redevelopment plan per the IRP
• Research:
• Goal to meet with St. Paul on the Ford site redevelopment
• Plan Recommendation: drafting beginning
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No ETAC comments.
d) Tax Base – Financial Assistance
Zarht presented on:
• Presentation:
• Nick Greene, Dept of Revenue
• Understanding LGA, County Aid, Fiscal Disparities,
• LGA takes time to adjust to ensure stability for LGA
communities- full adjuctment will not happen the year after
closure.
• Fiscal disparities covers Cohasset and Oak Park Heights. The
funds used help other communities in the region – ripple
effects.
• Jon Van Nurden, Dept of Revenue
• Understanding Assessment process, Solar and Wind
production, personal property and real estate taxes
• Coal and Nuclear plants pay City, County, School and State
taxes. Some solar only pay only ag property tax
• Discussion on Utilities challenging taxes
• Each power plant valuation is done on its own. Uses many
inputs.
• Research:
• RDF/RDA
• Compare, contrast and find gaps for the plan &/or recommendations
• Plan Recommendation - drafting beginning
No ETAC comments.
e) Workforce
Wozniak presented on:
• Presentation
• Jerry Mulhern, Unemployment Insurance
• Understanding typical UI process and supports for any
involuntarily separated worker
• The website has great information
• Retraining, unemployment insurance length, requirements were
all presented.
• Roy Smith, IRRRB
• Example of regional/sector partnerships to supply trained
workforce to local industry
• IRRRB has been retraining people, and coordinating for
• Holly Stanton, Xcel Energy
• Understand how one energy production employer is supporting
its workforce as transitions happen
• They start planning for re/training 2 years for plant closure
• They have not laid off any worker from their 11 plant closures.
• They keep their retrained workers within 50 miles of their
original power plan
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• Research
• Kristin, Dick and Luke are working on a flow chart on the retraining
process.
• Recommendation – drafting beginning
No ETAC comments.
9) Executive Committee Report
Vita presented on:
ETAC Plan Outline is complete
State agencies have been requested to provide information per State Statute
116J.5493. Many are in, we are waiting on others. Goal is a presentation on the
analysis for the August meeting.
School survey is out to the 8 impacted community schools. Goal is to present
outcomes at the August ETAC meeting.
Stakeholder survey will go out soon. Please forward to your community stakeholders
and others. Vita will forward the link and remind to send out. Your assistance is
requested.
Impacted community update was sent to cities, Prairie Island and Counties. Planned
update to ETAC at your August meeting.
Vita thanked Wozniak, Renskers, Lowney and Hallock for their assistance on this
important project.
10) Old Business Discussion
None/
11) Public Comment
None.
12) Next meeting – August 30, 2022 at 11am, City of Granite Falls
13) Adjourn – Roll call vote
Motion by McComber, second by Lowney to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried
unanimously by roll call vote.
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Oak Park Heights
Request for Council Action
th
Meeting Date September 13, 2022
Time Required 5 Minutes
Agenda Item Title: Consider Fence Consortium & Public Works Mutual Aid Agreements
Agenda Placement New Business
Originating Department/Requestor Chiefof Police,Steve Hansen
Requester’s Signature
Action Requested Discussion, Possible Action
Background/Justification (Please indicate if any previous action has been taken or if other public
bodies have advised):
Please see the attached Memo and documentation
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City of Oak Park Heights
14168 Oak Park Blvd. N Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 Phone (651) 439-4439 Fax (651) 439-0574
9/8/22
TO: Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Eric Johnson, City Administrator
Steve Hanse, Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Fence Consortium Joint Powers Agreement / Mutual Aid Agreement – Public Works
Background
In the spring of 2021, a significant number of public agency professionals (with police, fire, public works,
and emergency management backgrounds) joined to form a Fence Working Group to explore the
identified challenges and develop a collective path forward. Based on the experience with civil unrest in
Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center, the critical role that anti-scale fencing can serve for de-escalation and
establishing a space for lawful protests became apparent. That said, it was also found that obtaining anti-
scale fencing is a significant challenge due to a number of factors, as well as being very expensive. To
respond to this identified need, a Fence Working Group was established.
The Fence Working Group’s efforts have led to the formation of a Fencing Consortium. The Fencing
Consortium is made up of local government agencies (members) that will;; jointly contract with a fencing
vendor for the availability, storage, maintenance, and transportation of anti-scale fencing (including
vehicle gates and pedestrian doors). The Consortium will have, at a minimum, enough fencing for the
largest police department building in the Consortium. However, the Consortium has the flexibility to
increase the amount of fencing, gates, and doors as additional local governments join the Consortium.
The intent of the Fencing Consortium is to provide anti-scale fencing within hours, not days, around
potentially impacted government building(s) in response to a critical incident. The goal of the anti-scale
fencing is to de-escalate the potential tensions and try to reduce/eliminate the non-tangibles associated
with civil unrest such as:
1)Provide physical separation between law enforcement and protestors
a.Promotes improved mental health environment for all (reduce PTSD)
b.Pre-plan and standardize perimeter layout
2)Reduce the need for crowd control measures to be used
a.Improved safety for all
b.Minimize potential impact on adjacent properties
c.Crowd control measures are seen as escalating
d.Another tool for law enforcement facilitating peaceful protests
3)Create a space for protesting
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a.Not seen as officers vs. protestors, but protestors just protesting (including optics)
b. Supports efforts to coordinate/communicate with specific protest groups and organizers
ahead of time
c. Improved distinction between legal protestors and “violent and destructive actors” (I)
d. Officers in riot gear and with crowd control measures are more likely to be able to remain
out of sight of legal protestors
4) Reduce resource demands committed to one location
a. Local law enforcement agencies are too small to handle large-scale civil disturbance
b. Potentially need fewer officers for security at the site
c. Free up more resources to continue to respond to calls for service in impacted community
d. Takes into consideration that protests may be protracted event
The purpose and structure of the Fence Consortium is to provide experienced leadership for fence
deployment operations across multiple jurisdictions in a unified command structure and coordinate during
the deployment of anti-scale fencing. This includes considering and planning for operational logistics and
tactical planning associated with fence deployment. The Fence Consortium itself is a multi-agency, pre-
planned, coordinated resource management system to continue efforts to minimize multiple local and
state agencies from being over-extended.
Fence deployment team
One of the biggest costs and factors for the deployment of any fence is the labor, equipment, and
scheduling of staffing to setup the fence. Because of this the Working Group determined that the best way
to meet these challenges is to use the existing Statewide Public Works Mutual Aid Pact to provide the
labor and equipment needed to deploy the fence. Just like police and fire use existing mutual aid
agreements during civil unrest, public works would do the same. One key reason for this is that the JPA
can leverage these other existing mutual aid agreements when it comes to labor considerations.
Each Consortium member would need to provide between 1 and 3 people who would be assigned to the
Fence Deployment Team. This team would train 3 times a year (2 times in person) so that when the call to
deploy the fence was made, everyone would be familiar with what needed to be done and it could be done
as efficiently as possible. Each Consortium member would cover the costs, including if there was a
deployment (likely overtime), of their staff on the Fence Deployment Team. Considerations will be made
for rsmall public works departments (just a few members) or agencies with no public works staff.
The Pact noted above is the Statewide Pubic Works Mutual Aid Agreement – which again is to provide a
process for local units of government to share public works personnel and equipment with participating
agencies. There is no membership or fixed cost to participate in this public works mutual aid pact.
This agreement should not be interpreted as being limited to only use during catastrophic situations,
rather may be leveraged for routine circumstances such as training efforts and maintenance operations
for example. The decision when to request assistance or provide assistance is left entirely to the
discretion of the requesting and or sending party. The sending party has discretion whether to provide
personnel or equipment and can recall such assistance at any time.
If resources are requested it should be expected that those costs would be invoiced however the
agreement says that “charges may be levied”, so it is the decision of the sending party whether or not to
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invoice the receiving party. The agreement also speaks to responsibility and liability. Each party shall be
responsible for its own personnel or damaged equipment for example. Responding personnel shall be
deemed to be performing regular duties for each respective sending party for purposes of workers
compensation.
Hennepin County Emergency Management (HCEM) has volunteered to serve as the administrative
coordinator for this agreement among local units of government. This agreement will better position
the City to coordinate and work with its partnering agencies through a formalized agreement.
State funding request
The Fence Consortium has requested $5 million dollars from the State of Minnesota for the purchase of
anti-scale fencing and associated vehicle gates and pedestrian doors. If obtained, the State funding for the
purchase of anti-scale fencing for the Fencing Consortium will significantly reduce the on-going cost each
Consortium member will pay for the storage, maintenance, and transportation of the anti-scale fence. This
reduction in cost will improve equity in accessibility to this de-escalation and safety tool for communities
across not only the Seven County Metro area, but also the state as a whole.
Prerequisites
Any agency participating in the Fence Consortium must be a member of the Statewide Public Works
Mutual Aid Pact. Police and fire agency resources must be members of relevant mutual aid agreements.
Project cost
Each member agency’s cost is pro-rated based on the footage of fencing needed for their location.
Attachments
Fencing Consortium Joint Powers Agreement
Statewide Public Works Mutual Aid Agreement
Recommended action
Motion authorizing:
1.The resolution adopting the Fencing Consortium Joint Powers Agreement
2.The resolution adopting the Public Works Mutual Aid Agreement.
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RESOLUTION _________________
A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE FENCING
CONSORTIUM JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT
WHEREAS, the governmental units in the state have experienced an increase in incidences of
civil unrest with violent and destructive actors who pose a threat to the public, public personnel,
buildings, and critical infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the freedom of
speech, the press, and the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a
redress of grievances; and
WHEREAS, recent experience has shown that the use of anti-scale fencing has greatly de-
escalated tension between law enforcement and protesters; and
WHEREAS, by de-escalating the tension, the anti-scale fencing helps to reduce the trauma on the
community, improve the safety for all, minimize the impact on neighboring properties, and reduce the
community resources that have to be committed to such events; and
WHEREAS, governmental units have recognized the need to have ready access to anti-scalable
fencing as a tool for de-escalation and community safety while protecting against violent and destructive
actors; and
WHEREAS, the best means for a governmental unit to access such fencing in a timely and cost-
effective manner is to work cooperatively with other governmental units; and
WHEREAS, the Fencing Consortium Joint Powers Agreement (“Fencing JPA”), which is
incorporated herein by reference, establishes a joint board to obtain and make available to members anti-
scalable fencing in response to critical incidences, sets out the powers of the joint board, requires
members to pay their share of the fencing costs and operational costs of the Fencing Consortium, requires
members to provide staffing to assemble and disassemble the fencing as part of the Public Works Mutual
Aid Pact, and otherwise provides for the operation of the Fencing Consortium as a joint powers entity;
and
WHEREAS, the governmental unit is a member of the Public Works Mutual Aid Pact and is
otherwise eligible to adopt the Fencing JPA; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the community to become a member and participate in
the Fencing Consortium.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IS RESOLVED, by the governing body as follows:
1. The Fencing JPA is hereby approved and adopted.
2. The City Administrator is authorized and directed to make nominations and to cast votes on persons
to be elected to the Fencing Consortium Board of Directors.
3. Staff are authorized and directed to do each of the following:
a. Submit a fully executed copy of this Resolution as directed in the Fencing JPA to indicate
membership in the Fencing Consortium;
b. Designate a primary and secondary point of contact for the Fencing Consortium for
administrative purposes and is defined as the Chief of Police as the first point of contact and
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the City Administrator as the second;
c. Coordinate with the other Fencing Consortium members and the Board on the selection of
staff from the public works department to serve on the fencing deployment team; and
d. To take such other actions as may be needed to carry out the intent of this Resolution and as
may be required under the terms of the Fencing JPA.
Adopted by the Oak Park Heights City Council this ___th day of September 2022.
Mary McComber, Mayor
ATTEST:
City Administrator
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RESOLUTION _________
AUTHORIZING THE PUBLIC WORKS MUTUAL AID PACT
WHEREAS, this agreement provides a process for units of government to share public works
personnel and equipment with other agencies within the State of Minnesota; and
WHEREAS, the City of Oak Park Heights desires to enter said agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OAK
PARK HEIGHTS, MINNESOTA authorizes the public works mutual aid pact and the City Administrator
and Mayor are authorized to sign said agreement.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Public Works and City Administrator are
both designated as the “Requesting Official” and the “Sending Official” for the Public Works Joint
Powers Mutual Aid Agreement.
Adopted by the Oak Park Heights City Council this ___th day of September 2022.
Mary McComber, Mayor
ATTEST:
City Administrator
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Oak Park Heights
Request for Council Action
th
Meeting Date September 13, 2022
Time Required: 1 Minute
Agenda Item Title: Xcel Energy – Quarterly Stakeholder – IRP Requirements
Agenda Placement New Business
Originating Department/Requestor Eric Johnson, City Administrator
Requester’s Signature
Action Requested Discussion, Possible Action
Background/Justification (Please indicate if any previous action has been taken or if other public
bodies have advised):
Please see the attached Memo
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City of Oak Park Heights
14168 Oak Park Blvd. N Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 Phone (651) 439-4439 Fax (651) 439-0574
9/7/22
TO: Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Eric Johnson, City Administrator
RE: IRP – Xcel Energy – Quarterly Stakeholder
th
As part of the Integrated Resource Plan recently adopted on April 15, 2022 by the MN Public Utilities
Commission directed that Xcel Energy implement certain activities and strategiesthat begins to address
impacts of the AS King Plant closure on the community in general and how Xcel will engage and possibly
th
aid inmitigating these impacts. (See Excerpt from April 15document)
Specifically the Order cites following key issues:
1)Xcel must convene quarterly Xcel must convene quarterly Xcel must convene quarterly meetings on the subject with interested parties and local unitmeetings on the subject with interested
parties and local unitmeetings on the subject with interested parties and local units of government. s of government. s of government.
The interested The interested parties must include at least CEE, the CEOs, the Departmparties must include at least CEE, the CEOs, the Departmparties must include at least CEE, the CEOs,
the Department, DNR, the Energy Transition ent, DNR, the Energy Transition ent, DNR, the Energy Transition
Office, labor unions, the National Park Service, PCA, and the Wild Rivers Conservancy. The local units of Office, labor unions, the National Park Service, PCA, and the Wild Rivers Conservancy.
The local units of Office, labor unions, the National Park Service, PCA, and the Wild Rivers Conservancy. The local units of
government must include at least the city of Oak Park Heights and Washingtongovernment must include at least the city of Oak Park Heights and Washington County. County.
2)By January 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, Xcel must file a report describing its stakeholder outreach, the
efficient demolition of the King plant, and the remediation of the siteand affected lands.In general the
discussion points and general reports must include the following elements:
•The company’s plans and a detailed timeline to decommission and demolish the
electric generation facility.
•A detailed description of the timeline and steps necessary to remediate pollution at the
site of the electric generating plant.
•A description of any ongoing efforts by the company to evaluate future uses for the plant
site, any buffer property owned by the company, or any adjacent property, including a
description of coordination with or involvement of Oak Park Heights in those efforts.
•The status of efforts to support Oak Park Height’s economic development efforts—
including, to the extent possible, specific projects and investments the company is
helping Oak Park Heights to attract.
Xcel to provide reports on conservation efforts reflecting the uniqueness of the site and
Surrounding property located in and along the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.
At this time Xcel Energy is requesting that the City provide an appointment for someone to serve:
REQUESTED ACTION:As this process will invariably be an ongoing committee and include
discussionswith an unknown timeline, the City Council should consider the appointment ofone
member (and potentially one alternate) to represent the City’s interests in these discussions.
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BEFORE THE MINNESOTA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
Katie J. Sieben
Chair
Valerie Means
Commissioner
Matthew Schuerger
Commissioner
Joseph K. Sullivan
Commissioner
John A. Tuma
Commissioner
In the Matter of the 20202034 Upper ISSUE DATE: April 15, 2022
Midwest Integrated Resource Plan of
Northern States Power Company d/b/a Xcel DOCKET NO. E-002/RP-19-368
Energy
ORDER APPROVING PLAN WITH
MODIFICATIONS AND
ESTABLISHING REQUIREMENTS
FOR FUTURE FILINGS
#®³¤³²
PROCEDURAL HISTORY.............................................................................................................1
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................3
I. Summary of Commission Action.........................................................................................3
II. Resource Planning...............................................................................................................3
III. Resource Acquisition Strategies..........................................................................................5
IV. ..................................................................................................6
V. ..........................................................................................7
A. Initial Plan...........................................................................................................................7
B. Supplement Plan.................................................................................................................8
C. Alternate Plan......................................................................................................................8
VI. Resource Plan Selection.....................................................................................................10
A. Positions of the Parties and Commenters..........................................................................10
B. Commission Action..........................................................................................................12
VII. Resource Acquisition.........................................................................................................15
A. Positions of the Parties and Commenters..........................................................................15
B. Commission Action..........................................................................................................17
VIII. Future Proceedings.............................................................................................................18
A. Integrated Distribution Planning.......................................................................................18
B. Electrification....................................................................................................................20
C. Advanced Technologies....................................................................................................21
D. Advanced Rate Design......................................................................................................21
E. Blackstart Capabilities......................................................................................................21
F. Modeling of Distributed Solar-Powered Generators........................................................22
G. Clean Energy Goals of Local Units of Government.........................................................22
H. Criteria for Filing Alternative Plans.................................................................................22
I. Rate and Bill Impacts........................................................................................................23
i
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B.KingKing
As with Sherco, various parties expressed concern over the socioeconomic consequences of
closing King in the city of Oak Park Heights in Washington County. While many of the
concerns are analogous, parties raised additional concerns about the King site because it sits
next to the St. Croix, a national scenic riverway.
The Coalition of Utility Cities recommended that by Decem
resource plan if earlier), Xcel file with the Commission and Oak Park Heights a detailed report
property. They recommended including the following information in the report:
demolishthe
electric generation facility.
Adetaileddescriptionofthetimelineandstepsnecessarytoremediatepollution at the
siteoftheelectricgeneratingplant.
Adescription of any ongoing efforts by the company to evaluate future uses for the plant
site, any buffer property owned by the company, or any adjacent property, including a
description of coordination with or involvement of Oak Park Heights in those efforts.
T
including, to the extent possible, specificprojectsand investmentsthecompanyis
helping Oak Park Heights to attract.
36
AnyotheritemstheCommission orthecompanyseefittoinclude.
Again the Commission finds the proposals of the Coalition of Utility Cities to be reasonable and
will adopt themand expand them in the same manner as it expanded the recommendations
regarding the Sherco site. In addition, the Commission will direct Xcel to provide reports on
conservation efforts reflecting the uniqueness of the site and surrounding property located in and
along the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.
As with Sherco, the Commission will authorizeits Executive Secretary to open a new docket
regarding the remediation of thesite. As part of this docket, Xcel must convene quarterly
meetings on the subject with interested parties and local units of government. The interested
parties must includeat least CEE,theCEOs, the Department, DNR, the Energy Transition
37
Office, labor unions, the National Park Service, PCA, and the Wild Rivers Conservancy.The The
local units of government must include at least the local units of government must include at least the ccity of Oak Park Heights ity of Oak Park Heights and Washington
36
Coalition of Utility Cities comments, at 2 (February 1, 2022).
37
The Wild Rivers Conservancy of the St. Croix and Namekagon describes itself as the official nonprofit
partner of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway(a unit of the National Park Service) working to
conserve land, protect water quality, promote stewardship of the river corridor and watershed, and
celebrate the river as a national treasure.
26
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County. By January 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, Xcel must file a report describing its
stakeholder outreach, the efficient demolition of the King plant, and the remediation of the site
and affected lands.
C.Monticello and Prairie Island
Xcelproposes to seek toextendthe operating life of Monticello. Xcel has proposed no changes
to the operation of the two generating units of Prairie Island in Red Wing, Minnesota, which are
licensedtocontinue operating through2033 and 2034, respectively.Xcel emphasizedthat
nuclear power provides firm dispatchable energy and capacity without emitting carbon dioxide
or other greenhouse gases.
Parties such as CUB, Red Wing, and XLI argued that the record
provided a sufficient basis to begin pursuing an extended license for Prairie Island.
In contrast, Minneapolis asked the Commission to require Xcel to workclosely with the Prairie
Island Indian Community, a sovereign nation, in planning for whether to renew the operating
licenses for Prairie Island.And Community Power and Red Wing asked the Commission to
requireXceltobeginstakeholderdiscussionsaboutthefutureofPrairieIslandand address the
matter inits nextresourceplan.
While Xcel did not propose a license extension in this resource plan, the Prairie Island Indian
and the indefinite storage of spent nuclear fuel. The Community recommended that the company
provide data and analysis sufficient to provide insight into any technical issues or concerns
related to subsequent renewals. In particular, the Community recommended that Xcel provide
information in its next resource plan about the followingtopics:
Planned investments at Prairie Island.
Issues related to continuing to operate the aging plant.
Expectations regarding the future workforce for nuclear plants such as Prairie Island.
Cyber-security issues or concerns as plants move from analog to digital systems.
A comprehensive cost/benefit analysis, which includes potential environmental and
economic consequences forthe Prairie Island Indian Community and its Treasure Island
Resort & Casino (Treasure Island) located along the MississippiRiver.
Plans to manage the additional spent nuclear fuel generated over the next 10 or 20 years.
How fuel stored onsite will be removed.
Additional state permits, Certificates of Need, or federal licenses that will be required.
In response, Xcel generally argued that it is premature to address questions about Prairie Island.
According to the company, there will be sufficient time to analyze the matter in a future resource
27
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Oak Park Heights
Request for Council Action
th
Meeting Date September 13, 2022
Time Required: 3 Minutes
Agenda Item Title: MPCA Information A.S. King Plant Closure - Possible Joint Worksession
Agenda Placement New Business
Originating Department/Requestor Mary McComber, Mayor
Requester’s Signature
Action Requested Discussion, Possible Action
Background/Justification (Please indicate if any previous action has been taken or if other public
bodies have advised):
I recently participated in a meeting with the ETAC and they received information from MPCA
Staff - (Craig McDonnell and Amy Hadiaris), related to a number of elements associated with
the clean-up elements of power plants and other fly-ash disposal sites.
Much of this information may be helpful for background knowledge of the City Council and
perhaps even the Planning Commission, Parks Commission and representatives from the
Advisory Panel. These MPCA Staff mentioned they would be willing to have a similar
information session outlining this same general data.
Would the Council be amenable to hosting such a Worksession / meeting in the near future to
receive this information and jointly inviting the City’s Parks and Planning Commission and
Advisory Panel members?
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