S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 476.42, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 1 2011, is amended to read as follows: 2 a. A solar, wind turbine, waste management, resource 3 recovery, refuse-derived fuel, agricultural crops or residues, 4 or woodburning facility. For purposes of this definition, 5 “waste management” includes but is not limited to a facility 6 producing synthetic gas created by a plasma gasification of 7 biogenic material such as municipal solid waste or animal 8 waste. For purposes of this definition, “plasma gasification” 9 means the thermal disintegration of carbonaceous material into 10 fragments of compounds in an oxygen-starved environment. 11 EXPLANATION 12 This bill expands the definition of an “alternate energy 13 production facility” for purposes of compliance with electric 14 utility rate regulation requirements. 15 Provisions contained in Code sections 476.43 and 476.44 16 require electric utilities to either own alternate energy 17 production facilities or small hydro facilities located 18 in Iowa or enter into long-term contracts to purchase or 19 wheel electricity from such facilities, or provide for the 20 availability of supplemental or backup power to such facilities 21 on a nondiscriminatory basis and at just and reasonable rates. 22 Currently, the applicable definition of “alternate energy 23 production facility” in Code section 476.42 references 24 solar, wind turbine, waste management, resource recovery, 25 refuse-derived fuel, agricultural crops or residues, or 26 woodburning facilities. The bill specifies that for purposes 27 of this definition, “waste management” includes but is not 28 limited to a facility producing synthetic gas created by a 29 plasma gasification of biogenic material such as municipal 30 solid waste or animal waste, and that “plasma gasification” 31 means the thermal disintegration of carbonaceous material into 32 fragments of compounds in an oxygen-starved environment. 33 -1- LSB 1618XC (4) 84 rn/nh 1/ 1