Minnesota Statutes Utilities (Ch. 216-216H) § 216B.161. Area development rate plan

Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given them in this subdivision.

(b) “Area development rate” means a rate schedule established by a utility that provides customers within an area development zone service under a base utility rate schedule, except that charges may be reduced from the base rate as agreed upon by the utility and the customer consistent with this section.

(c) “Area development zone” means a contiguous or noncontiguous area designated by an authority or municipality for development or redevelopment and within which one of the following conditions exists:

(d) “Authority” means a rural development financing authority established undersections 469.142to469.151; a housing and redevelopment authority established undersections 469.001to469.047; a port authority established undersections 469.048to469.068; an economic development authority established undersections 469.090to469.108; a redevelopment agency as defined insections 469.152to469.165; the Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation established undersection 298.22; a municipality that is administering a development district created undersections 469.124to469.133or any special law; a municipality that undertakes a project undersections 469.152to469.165, except a town located outside the metropolitan area as defined insection 473.121, subdivision 2, or with a population of 5,000 persons or less; or a municipality that exercises the powers of a port authority under any general or special law.

(e) “Municipality” means a city, however organized, and, with respect to a project undertaken undersections 469.152to469.165, “municipality” has the meaning given insections 469.152to469.165, and, with respect to a project undertaken undersections 469.142to469.151or a county or multicounty project undertaken undersections 469.004to469.008, also includes any county.

(1) be offered for a specified length of time to be determined by the commission;

(2) be offered as a supplement to other development incentives offered by the authority or municipality in which the rate is available;

(3) be available only to new or expanding manufacturing or wholesale trade customers;

(4) be designed to recover at least the incremental cost of providing service to the participating customers;

(5) be offered in a fixed number of area development zones; and

(6) include a provision that the utility provide participating customers with an energy audit and inform those customers of all existing energy conservation programs available from the utility.