Subd. 1. Account established; account management.

A "Made in Minnesota" solar energy production incentive account is established as a separate account in the special revenue fund in the state treasury. Earnings, such as interest, dividends, and any other earnings arising from account assets, must be credited to the account. Funds remaining in the account at the end of a fiscal year do not cancel to the general fund but remain in the account. There is annually appropriated from the account to the commissioner of commerce money sufficient to make the incentive payments under section 216C.415, the transfers under section 216C.416, and to administer sections 216C.412 to 216C.415.

Subd. 2. Payments from public utilities.

1. (a) Beginning January 1, 2014, and each January 1 thereafter, through 2023, for a total of ten years, each electric public utility subject to section 216B.241 must annually pay to the commissioner of commerce five percent of the minimum amount it is required to spend on energy conservation improvements under section 216B.241, subdivision 1a. Payments under this subdivision must be included in the calculation of whether a utility's other spending on generation exceeds the limits authorized for spending on generation under section 216B.2411, subdivision 1, for investments proposed for commissioner of commerce approval after July 1, 2013. The limits on spending in section 216B.2411 do not limit or apply to payments required by this subdivision. Payments made under this paragraph count toward satisfying expenditure obligations of a public utility under section 216B.241, subdivision 1a. The commissioner shall, upon receipt of the funds, deposit them in the account established in subdivision 1. A public utility subject to this paragraph must be credited energy savings for the purpose of satisfying its energy savings requirement under section 216B.241, subdivision 1c, based on its payment to the commissioner.
2. (b) Notwithstanding section 116C.779, subdivision 1, paragraph (g), beginning January 1, 2014, and continuing through January 1, 2023, for a total of ten years, the public utility that manages the account under section 116C.779 must annually pay from that account to the commissioner an amount that, when added to the total amount paid to the commissioner of commerce under paragraph (a), totals $15,000,000 annually. The commissioner shall, upon receipt of the payment, deposit it in the account established in subdivision 1.