Wastewater treatment facility heat capture pilot program funding provided, and money appropriated.

HF 2317 appropriates $1 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 to the Pollution Control Agency to fund a pilot program capturing waste heat from wastewater treatment facilities. The program requires identifying feasible sites across Minnesota, quantifying available heat energy, and funding engineering studies for one project in the seven-county metro area and one outside it. By December 2027, the agency must report to legislators on identified sites, challenges and benefits of heat capture systems, and potential future funding sources. This bill directly affects wastewater treatment facilities statewide by exploring a new method to repurpose waste heat for community heating systems.