Bill Text: MI SB0046 | 2009-2010 | 95th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Energy; conservation; school loans for net metering programs; provide for. Amends 1939 PA 3 (MCL 460.1 - 460.11) by adding sec. 6t.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 6-2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-01-27 - Referred To Committee On Energy Policy And Public Utilities [SB0046 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2009-SB0046-Introduced.html
SENATE BILL No. 46
January 27, 2009, Introduced by Senators BIRKHOLZ, ALLEN, BASHAM, PAPPAGEORGE, KAHN, RICHARDVILLE, CHERRY and JANSEN and referred to the Committee on Energy Policy and Public Utilities.
A bill to amend 1939 PA 3, entitled
"An act to provide for the regulation and control of public and
certain private utilities and other services affected with a public
interest within this state; to provide for alternative energy
suppliers; to provide for licensing; to include municipally owned
utilities and other providers of energy under certain provisions of
this act; to create a public service commission and to prescribe
and define its powers and duties; to abolish the Michigan public
utilities commission and to confer the powers and duties vested by
law on the public service commission; to provide for the
continuance, transfer, and completion of certain matters and
proceedings; to abolish automatic adjustment clauses; to prohibit
certain rate increases without notice and hearing; to qualify
residential energy conservation programs permitted under state law
for certain federal exemption; to create a fund; to provide for a
restructuring of the manner in which energy is provided in this
state; to encourage the utilization of resource recovery
facilities; to prohibit certain acts and practices of providers of
energy; to allow for the securitization of stranded costs; to
reduce rates; to provide for appeals; to provide appropriations; to
declare the effect and purpose of this act; to prescribe remedies
and penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,"
(MCL 460.1 to 460.11) by adding section 6t.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 6t. (1) The commission shall implement a program of loans
to school districts for construction of a wind, solar, or other
renewable energy production system. The loans shall be repaid
through proceeds of a net metering arrangement with an electric
utility as provided in this section or by another method at the
option of the school district.
(2) The alternate energy revolving loan fund is created within
the state treasury. The state treasurer may receive money or other
assets from any source for deposit into the alternate energy
revolving loan fund. The state treasurer shall direct the
investment of the alternate energy revolving loan fund and shall
credit to the fund the interest and earnings from fund investments.
Money in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall remain in
the fund and shall not lapse to the general fund. The commission
shall be the administrator of the fund for auditing purposes and
shall make loans as provided in subsection (3).
(3) The commission shall grant loans at no interest from money
in the alternate energy revolving loan fund on a first-come, first-
served basis to each applicant school district that, in the
judgment of the commission, presents a viable plan for cost-
effective energy efficiency improvements in tandem with
construction of a renewable energy production system that can
generate energy for redistribution through a net metering
arrangement with an electric utility. The school district's
application shall identify the source of funds that will be used to
repay the loan and specify a repayment period of not more than 20
years.
(4) The commission may begin accepting applications for loans
after the fund first attains a balance of $10,000,000.00. However,
if funding is available through a transfer from the low-income and
energy efficiency fund or another fund that the commission
administers, the commission may accept loan applications without
regard to the balance in the alternate energy revolving loan fund.
(5) If a school district net-metering project otherwise meets
the requirements for funding, the commission may award a grant
under this section from money in the low-income and energy
efficiency fund. The commission may request that the state
treasurer transfer money for the project to the alternate energy
revolving loan fund.
(6) A school district that receives a loan under this section
shall repay the loan at no interest within 20 years as provided in
the loan application. Repayments of loans that were funded through
transfers from the low-income and energy efficiency fund shall be
credited to that fund.
