HF 2002 Minnesota House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Prohibition on issuing certificate of need for new nuclear power plant abolished.

HF 2002 abolishes a prohibition that prevented the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission from issuing a certificate of need for new nuclear power plants. This change would allow the commission to approve applications for new nuclear plant construction, which was previously blocked by law. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 216B.243, subdivision 3b, by removing the language stating the commission "may not issue a certificate of need" for new nuclear facilities. The policy change directly affects nuclear energy developers seeking to build new plants in Minnesota and the commission's approval process.

Issues: ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 6, 2025 Last action Apr 7, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduction → 1st Engrossment · 4 edits · Mar 17, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was updated from its introduction to its first engrossment version, reflecting a change in the bill's title to specify that it applies to 'certain' new nuclear power plants rather than all of them. The effective date of the bill was also updated from March 2025 to March 2026. The core policy change involves modifying the prohibition on issuing certificates of need for new nuclear power plants and spent nuclear fuel storage facilities.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by adding the qualifier 'certain' to the prohibition on new nuclear power plants, implying that some new plants may still be eligible for certificates of need under specific conditions not detailed in this excerpt.

SCOPE

The bill title was amended to restrict the prohibition on new nuclear power plants to 'certain' plants, suggesting a partial exemption or specific criteria for approval.

TIMELINE

The posting date of the bill was updated from March 6, 2025, to March 23, 2026, indicating a shift in the legislative timeline.

REQUIREMENT

New subsections were added to specify that certificates of need are prohibited for new nuclear power plants and for new facilities designed to store spent nuclear fuel from plants other than the one operating at Prairie Island.

ELIGIBILITY

The eligibility for new nuclear power plant construction was modified to include an exception for plants located at Prairie Island, which are not subject to the new construction prohibition.

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Full legislative history

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Key actions

Committee

Mar 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report, to adopt as amended

lower

Mar 6, 2025

Introduced

Introduction and first reading, referred to Energy Finance and Policy

lower

1 primary · 8 co-sponsors