Minnesota Administrative Rules
Agency 138 - Public Utilities Commission
Chapter 7854 - SITE PERMIT; LARGE WIND ENERGY SYSTEM
Part 7854.1500 - FEES

Subpart 1. Fee requirement.

An applicant for a site permit under Minnesota Statutes, section 216F.04, shall pay an application fee to the PUC. The purpose of the application fee is to cover actual costs necessarily and reasonably incurred in processing an application for a site permit, including, but not limited to, staff time, expenses for public notice and meetings, environmental review, administrative overhead, and legal expenses.

Subp. 2. Determination of PUC budget.

Upon receipt of an application for a site permit, the commission shall estimate the costs the PUC expects to incur in processing the application and establish an estimated budget. If the applicant disagrees with the amount of the estimated budget, the applicant may request that the Public Utilities Commission determine the appropriate estimated budget.

Subp. 3. Initial payment.

Upon determination of the estimated budget, the applicant shall pay at least 50 percent of the estimated budget to the PUC. The commission shall not process a permit application until the first portion of the fee is submitted. The PUC shall deposit all money received from an applicant for permit fees in a special account.

Subp. 4. Periodic payments.

The remaining costs incurred by the PUC must be paid in periodic payments upon receipt of an invoice from the PUC. The PUC shall not make a final decision on a site permit application if any assessed fees are unpaid.

Subp. 5. Final accounting.

At the end of the permitting process, including any judicial review of the commission's final decision, the PUC shall provide a final accounting to the applicant of the total cost of processing the permit application. The applicant may review all actual costs associated with processing an application and present objections to the commission. The applicant shall make the final payment within 30 days of notification, or the PUC shall refund any excess payments within 30 days of the final accounting.