SF 5105

03/24/26  REVISOR  SS/EI  26-07886  as introduced
  SENATE
  STATE OF MINNESOTA
  NINETY-FOURTH SESSION  S.F. No. 5105
  (SENATE AUTHORS: CHAMPION)
  DATE       D-PG  OFFICIAL STATUS
  04/13/2026      8001 Introduction and first reading
  Referred to Jobs and Economic Development
1.1A bill for an act
1.2relating to workforce development; appropriating money for a grant to Northgate
1.3Development, LLC, for workforce training for employment in renewable energy
1.4and related construction.
1.5    BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6Section 1. NORTHGATE DEVELOPMENT; APPROPRIATION.
1.7(a) $4,000,000 in fiscal year 2027 is appropriated from the general fund to the
1.8    commissioner of employment and economic development for a grant to Northgate
1.9    Development, LLC, to train individuals facing barriers to employment in the skills needed
1.10   for work in renewable energy and related construction. Grant money may be used for:
1.11(1) building costs and operating expenses at the current site of the Regional
1.12   Apprenticeship Training Center in Minneapolis;
1.13(2) instruction costs, including curriculum development, on-the-job training, and purchase
1.14   of equipment and teaching materials;
1.15(3) support services for trainees;
1.16(4) job placement services; and
1.17(5) program administration and evaluation of program outcomes.
1.18(b) For purposes of this section, "renewable energy" and "related construction" mean
1.19   the design, construction, or maintenance of:
1.20(1) systems producing renewable energy from solar, wind, or geothermal sources;
Section 1.  1
03/24/26  REVISOR  SS/EI  26-07886  as introduced
2.1     (2) systems that improve energy efficiency, as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section
2.2 216B.241, subdivision 1;
2.3     (3) energy storage with battery technology;
2.4     (4) infrastructure for charging all-electric or electric-hybrid vehicles; and
2.5     (5) grid technologies that manage load and provide services to the distribution grid in a
2.6 manner that reduces usage or shifts demand to off-peak periods.
2.7     (c) The training facility operated by Northgate Development and skills training programs
2.8 provided by training partners must use targeted outreach and recruitment strategies to reach
2.9 residents of underserved communities and individuals facing barriers to employment.
Section 1.  2