With its appropriations devoted chiefly to keeping the Public Utilities Commission and the Commerce Department’s energy division in working order, and policy changes limited to initiating a financial safety net for unexpected natural gas price spikes, SSHF7/SSSF2* — sponsored by Rep. Patty Acomb (DFL-Minnetonka) and Sen. Nick Frentz (DFL-North Mankato) — is the smallest energy omnibus in recent memory.
But its measures proved relatively noncontroversial on the House Floor Tuesday, and it was passed by a 90-41 vote. Having been passed 35-32 by the Senate earlier in the day, it’s now on the way to Gov. Tim Walz for his signature.
“Going into this session, I had two goals,” Acomb said. “To pass a budget and to protect the gains we made last biennium in our transition to a clean energy economy. And we did both.”