Issues in Minnesota Energy and Electric Utility Regulation
DISCLAIMER
Before undertaking any on-demand effort, you should review the rules of your licensing/certifying entity. It’s your responsibility to determine whether or not this on-demand course meets your continuing education requirements.
You must take and pass a quiz in order to receive credit. You can take the quiz as many times as needed and there is no time limit on the quiz. Once the quiz is completed, you will be asked to download your certificate.
Videos that qualify for AIA, LACES, ASLA, or CLARB credit will require an extra week for processing.
Streamable MP4/PDF
Available approximately 1 week after the date of the live event or the date of your order, whichever is later.
To track your purchase you will need to create an account on the website using the email address used for your registration.
For most customers, the videos run like most streaming videos on the web. For videos that qualify for AIA credit there will be occasional question prompts that will not allow the video to progress unless they are answered and you will not be able to skip forward while watching the video.
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Click the link which appears at the end of the video to be taken to the course quiz.
USB MP4/PDF
HalfMoon will mail these materials via USPS. Please allow 2 weeks from the date of purchase to receive your product. If the live seminar is in the future, please allow 2 weeks from the date of the live seminar.
The link to the quiz will be available in a PDF in your USB drive marked QUIZ.
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Please contact HalfMoon Education if you have any questions during the process of taking this course. (715) 835-5900 or qchapman@halfmoonseminars.org
Agenda
Webinar instructions will be emailed before the date of the webinar.
Please log into the webinar 15 – 30 minutes before start time.
Log into Webinar
8:00 – 8:30 am CDT
Morning Session
8:30 am – 12:15 pm CDT
Break
12:15 – 1:15 pm CDT
Afternoon Session
1:15 – 4:00 pm CDT
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) I. Bjorklund
Rules of Practice and Procedure and Guidance Documents
PUC structure
Role of other agencies in PUC process
Types of proceedings
PUC meeting and hearing procedures
Public involvement
Energy Facilities Permitting by PUC H. Waller Pitts,
PUC jurisdiction over generation, transmission, pipeline facilities C. Brusven
Energy facilities outside PUC jurisdiction
Application filing and review
Permit types and processes
Environmental review
Case study
Minnesota’s Community Solar Program H. Waller Pitts
Statutory background and requirements
Issues related to PUC regulation
Local permitting and land use
Subscription agreements
Looking ahead
Emerging Technologies in M. Cummings
Renewable Energy and Decarbonization
Background, current status, and future potential for renewable natural gas,
carbon capture, hydrogen, and battery storage
Policy drivers for decarbonization of the energy sector
Potential legal issues
Webinar Instructions
All attendees must log-on through their own email – attendees may not watch together if they wish to earn continuing education credit. HalfMoon Education Inc. must be able to prove attendance if either the attendee or HalfMoon Education Inc. is audited.
Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher.
Webinars are presented via GoToWebinar, an easy-to-use application that can be run on most systems and tablets. Instructions and login information will be provided in an email sent close to the date of the webinar. It is highly recommended that you download, install and test the application before the webinar begins by clicking on the link in the email.
GoToWebinar App requirements:
Windows 7 – 10 or Mac OSX Mavericks (10.9) – macOS Catalina (10.15)
Web Browser:
The two most recent version of the following browsers:
Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge
Internet Explorer v11 (or later) with Flash enabled
Internet connection: Minimum of 1Mbps Hardware: 2GB RAM or more
For more information, visit the Support section at www.gotowebinar.com
Credits
Attorneys
Minnesota CLE Pending
Wisconsin CLE Pending
Minnesota
Professional Engineers
6.0 PDHs
Continuing Education Credit Information
This webinar is open to the public. HalfMoon Education has applied to the Minnesota Board of CLE and the Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners for course approval for attorneys. The applications are under review.
This course offers Minnesota engineers 6.0 PDHs. Educators and courses are not subject to preapproval in Minnesota. Engineers seeking continuing education credit in other states will be able to claim the hours earned at this webinar, in most cases. Refer to specific state rules to determine eligibility.
Completion certificates will be awarded to participants who complete this event, respond to all prompts, and earn a passing score (80%) on the quiz that follows the presentation (multiple attempts allowed).
Speakers
Ingrid E. Bjorklund
Principal Attorney at Bjorklund Law, PLLC
Ms. Bjorklund is the Principal Attorney at Bjorklund Law, PLLC, which provides legal and consulting services to energy clients. Her clients include renewable energy developers, trade associations, nonprofits, utilities, and closely held businesses. With over 20 years of experience working with governmental agencies, Ms. Bjorklund works with clients to develop effective regulatory and legislative strategies on a wide variety of energy issues. Her experience includes serving in governmental roles at the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Midwest Reliability Organization, Minnesota Legislature, and the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings. Prior to starting her own firm, Ms. Bjorklund also served as an executive and associate general counsel for a renewable energy developer, represented energy clients at a Minneapolis law firm, and lobbied the Minnesota Legislature on energy policies. Ms. Bjorklund also served as a Contract Administrative Law Judge and Adjunct Professor of Energy Law at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. She currently serves as special counsel to Mendoza Law, LLC. Ms. Bjorklund previously led an initiative to advance private high-voltage transmission lines to carry renewable energy across a portion of the Upper Midwest in the late 2000s. Today, she helps clients achieve their goals before state public utility commissions, county commissions and city councils, Minnesota Legislature, and works them on a variety of energy transactions. Ms. Bjorklund earned her J.D. degree in 2005 from William Mitchell College of Law and served on the William Mitchell Law Review. She holds an M.A. degree in Environmental Resource Policy from The George Washington University and a B.A. degree in International Relations from St. Catherine University. Ms. Bjorklund served as chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Public Utilities Law Section and served on the Minnesota Second District Ethics Committee and the Board of Supervisors for the Ramsey Conservation District.
Christy Brusven
Attorney with Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
Ms. Brusven is the chair of Fredrikson & Byron’s Energy Department. Ms. Brusven advises utilities, independent power producers and pipeline companies on siting, routing, permitting and other regulatory matters before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and other federal, state and local agencies.
Michael Cummings
Attorney with Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
Mr. Cummings advises clients on environmental and permitting matters related to the development, financing, purchase, and sale of renewable and traditional energy projects. His experience includes assisting clients with wind, utility- and community-scale solar, biomass, oil and gas production, oil and natural gas pipeline, and electric transmission line projects across the Upper Midwest. Mr. Cummings also advises commercial and industrial clients on environmental and regulatory matters. Prior to joining Fredrikson & Byron, Mr. Cummings worked at an environmental consulting firm focusing on environmental review and permitting for the development, construction, and operation of energy projects.
Haley L. Waller Pitts
Attorney with Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
Ms. Waller Pitts is a shareholder in Fredrikson & Byron’s Energy and Litigation Groups. In her energy practice, she focuses on assisting clients with wind farm, solar, transmission and pipeline permitting matters. Ms. Waller Pitts is part of a team advising utilities, independent power producers, independent transmission companies and pipeline companies on siting, routing, permitting and other regulatory matters before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, Wisconsin Public Service Commission, and other federal, state and local agencies. In her litigation practice, she primarily represents clients in litigation related to energy infrastructure in trial and appellate courts. Ms. Waller Pitts has experience in both state and federal courts, administrative proceedings, and arbitration and mediation.