Minnesota Administrative Rules
Agency 120 - Commerce Department
Chapter 7620 - PETROLEUM SUPPLY EMERGENCIES
FUEL OIL EMERGENCY MEASURES
Part 7620.0510 - VOLUNTARY MEASURES

Subpart 1. Homeowners and renters.

Homeowners and renters shall be requested to turn their thermostats back to between 62 degrees Fahrenheit and 66 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 58 degrees Fahrenheit during the night and unoccupied hours, and shall be requested to set back water heater thermostats to between 105 degrees Fahrenheit and 115 degrees Fahrenheit (or the lowest setting). Residences occupied by persons for whom such a measure endangers health shall be warned not to comply with this measure. Such persons include the elderly and sick and children under the age of one.

Subp. 2. Conservation targets.

Voluntary industrial, commercial, government, and residential conservation targets shall be established to reduce energy usage, including electricity and natural gas, especially during periods of peak usage.

Subp. 3. Reducing hours.

Commercial and industrial establishments shall be requested to reduce their hours of operations where this action saves energy.

Subp. 4. Releasing fuel oil.

Commercial and industrial users shall be requested to release fuel oil from inventory supplies. The procedures for state set-aside allocation adopted according to Minnesota Statutes, section 216C.16 will be used to allocate voluntarily released inventory. Suppliers shall be directed to deliver fuel oil supplies consisting of voluntary releases according to the system of priorities described in part 7620.0400, subpart 2.

Subp. 5. Closing buildings.

Business, industrial, and government institutions shall be requested to close nonessential buildings.

Subp. 6. Public information.

Public information efforts shall be used to instruct Minnesotans in fuel oil-, natural gas-, and electricity-saving measures. Regular information updates regarding the status and severity of the shortage shall be issued.