HF 2002

This bill removes Minnesota's current prohibition on issuing certificates of need for new nuclear power plants, effectively lifting the state's ban on new nuclear power plant construction. The legislation strikes the existing language in Minnesota Statutes that explicitly prevents the state's Public Utilities Commission from approving certificates of need for nuclear-powered electric generating facilities, while retaining requirements related to spent nuclear fuel storage for facilities seeking license extensions. By eliminating this regulatory barrier, the bill would allow new nuclear power plants to be considered and potentially approved in Minnesota for the first time since the prohibition was enacted, representing a significant shift in the state's energy policy toward potentially expanding nuclear power generation capacity.