The commission may not use, require the use of, or allow electric utilities to use environmental externality values in the planning, selection, or acquisition of electric resources or the setting of rates for providing electric service. Environmental externality values are numerical costs or quantified values that are assigned to represent either: 1. Environmental costs that are not internalized in the cost of production or the market price of electricity from a particular electric resource; or 2. The alleged costs of complying with future environmental laws or regulations that have not yet been enacted.
49-02-24. Renewable electricity and recycled energy credit trading and tracking system. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the commission by rule may establish or participate in a program to track, record, and verify the trading of credits for electricity generated from renewable and recycled heat sources among electric generators, utilities, and other interested entities within this state and with similar entities in other states. This section applies to all public utilities, electric cooperatives, and municipal electric utilities.