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General Government <br />require the utility to pay a fee to help offset costs of maintaining the right of way. <br />Cities are also adopting energy policies that use renewable energy resources to light or heat <br />public facilities. Policies and programs have also been instituted in cooperation with the public <br />utility franchisee to increase energy efficiency for all users. Cities also contract, at city expense, <br />with public utilities to "underground" wires. State laws also require energy companies to provide <br />more electric energy from renewable sources. The specific amounts vary by type of utility. <br />Metro Cities supports: <br />• State policies adopted by legislation or through rules of the Public Utility <br />Commission that provide cities with the authority to include city energy policies and <br />priorities in a franchise or similar agreement with a franchisee; and <br />• Greater accountability and transparency for city paid costs associated with <br />underground utility and similar work performed by electric utilities as part of a local <br />project. <br />2-Q Water Supply <br />Municipal water suppliers are charged with meeting the water supply needs of their communities <br />and work to do so with safe, reliable and cost-effective systems that are sustainable both for <br />established cities and for all future growth. <br />The aquifers in the metropolitan area cross municipal boundaries and therefore require a <br />coordinated regional approach to planning for their future availability. Currently, approximately <br />75% of municipal water supply in the metropolitan area comes from groundwater. With proper <br />management of the resource, the current water supply in the region is adequate; however, <br />Metropolitan Council projections predict localized declines in aquifer availability due to <br />population growth estimates if current usage levels are maintained. <br />Regulation of water is complex and compartmentalized. Various agencies permit its use, plan for <br />its availability, regulate stormwater, treat wastewater and protect the safety of water. To ensure <br />that water supply remains adequate and sustainable across the region, we must understand how <br />much water can be sustainably drawn from the aquifers and what effect increases in re -use, <br />conservation and recharge can have on the sustainability and availability of both groundwater <br />and surface water. Many of these strategies cross agency jurisdictions and will require improved <br />coordination and cooperation. <br />Municipal water suppliers have made significant infrastructure investments in their systems <br />based on calculated water availability and DNR permits. Proposals to reduce the reliance on <br />groundwater by switching municipal water systems from groundwater to surface water supplies <br />will come with significant costs that could place excessive burdens on local resources. <br />The outcomes and benefits of re -balancing the mix of groundwater and surface water use for <br />specific municipalities and the region must be identifiable before any projects are undertaken. <br />2019 Legislative Policies <br />17 <br />