With this in mind I recently introduced and passed out of the Senate Energy Committee bipartisan legislation that would establish a 2021 polar vortex loan account for loans to municipal utilities that purchased natural gas during the extreme weather that occurred this February, 2021. The bill also creates a natural gas assistance program for low-income households to defray a portion of the elevated costs that their household paid for natural gas.

This is aimed to help those hardest it during the natural gas spike. For instance, if you’re expecting a bill that’s usually $40 and it comes up to $400, many individuals will have a hard time paying for it; especially those hit hardest during the pandemic. This helps to continue the conversation on how to  view and treat energy issues that arise in our state.

This legislation would allocate $15 million for zero-interest five-year loans that would help municipal utilities defray high projected costs to consumers.

It also provides a yet to be determined amount of money for payment credits to low income individuals who utilize natural gas.  

Qualifying circumstances include:

• Minnesota families who receive assistance from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Individuals who have missed two or more bills since October 2020
• Individuals who make under 50% of state median income and are on payment plans to Minnesota utilities since March 2020

SF 2132 passed out of the Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy committee and will now be heard in the Senate Finance Committee.