Minnesota Agencies

The Legislature established the Legislative Electric Energy Task Force to study future electric energy sources and costs, and make recommendations for legislation on a variety of topics including: environmentally and economically sustainable electric energy supply; and long term issues associated with Minnesota's nuclear power plants.

Beginning in 2005, the LETF was required to submit reports every two years to the Legislature containing an overview of information gathered and analyses that had been prepared, and making specific recommendations, if any, for legislative action.

The Legislative Electric Energy Task Force (LEETF) was created by the Minnesota Legislature in 1994 to study future electric energy sources and costs and to make recommendations for legislation for an environmentally and economically sustainable energy supply. The task force was formed via the same legislation that allowed Northern States Power Co. to store radioactive waste outside its Prairie Island nuclear power plant.

The Legislature expanded the role of the task force in the 1997 legislative session (Laws of Minnesota 1997, chapter 191), directing the task force to review issues relating to electric industry restructuring and deregulation. In 1998, the Legislature required the task force to conduct a detailed analysis, with the assistance of technical work groups, of several critical issues relating to electric restructuring (Laws of Minn. 1998, chap 380).

In 2003, the Legislature instructed the task force to gather information and make recommendations regarding potential electric energy resources. The task force was permitted to contract with one or more energy policy experts and energy economists to assist in its analysis and was required to submit a report and recommendations to the Legislature (Laws of Minn. 2003, 1st Sp. Sess., chap. 11, art. 3, sec. 6-9).

The Legislature established the Community-Based Energy Development (C-BED) Advisory Task force in 2007, giving oversight and appointment powers to the LEETF (Laws of Minn. 2007, chap. 136, art. 4, sec. 19).

In 2008, the LEETF was succeeded by the Legislative Energy Commission (Laws of Minn. 2008, chap. 296, art. 1, sec. 14).

The task force originally consisted of 16 members, including chairs of the environment and natural resources, regulated industries, and energy committees. Six members from each body were appointed at large; two from each body must be from the minority caucus.

In 1997 membership was expanded from 16 to 20.

In 2007 membership changes were made to include the Energy Finance and Policy Division and the Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications Committee Chairs.