Minnesota law will soon require electricity to be carbon-free by 2040, as the 100% clean electricity bill heads to Governor Walz’s desk. This is one of Minnesota’s largest-ever moves to address climate change. It is the result of more than four years of work by the Governor and legislative leaders, environmental experts, utilities, labor, consumer…
January 27, 2023 MinnPost Walker Orenstein The DFL bill that would steer utilities toward a carbon-free electric grid is simple in concept: All electric utilities in the state would be asked to use 100% emissions-free energy by 2040. But the proposal — which Democrats have advanced through the Legislature at lightspeed in January — is really…
January 24, 2023 Natural Gas Intelligence Morgan Evans Minnesota’s state legislature has ramped up the clean energy targets for electric utilities with a bill that would ensure utility customers would receive 100% of their energy from only carbon-free resources 10 years sooner than many utilities had initially planned. Read more.
Published January 17, 2023 Hearings begin this week on a bill to fully decarbonize Minnesota’s electricity sector. The bill, authored by Representative Jamie Long (HF 7) and Senator Nick Frentz (SF 4) and supported by Governor Walz, would require electric utilities to provide carbon-free power by 2040, ten years earlier than Xcel Energy’s and Minnesota…
Published January 13, 2023 January 3rd marked the start of the Minnesota legislative session, and CUB is again working hard to represent consumer interests in energy policy. With the DFL now in control of the House, Senate, and Governor’s Office, we expect policymakers to be busy with climate and energy bills (and much more). Here…
Published March 10, 2022 Hello from the State Capitol, where CUB is working hard to represent consumers’ interests in energy-related discussions. The Legislature passed its two-year budget last year. There is no pressure of a government shutdown should the politically divided House, Senate, and Governor fail to come to agreements, which may make it less…
January 20, 2022 Duluth News Tribune Alex Derosier ST. PAUL — Minnesota House Democrats are proposing the state use $1 billion of its projected, record-breaking $7.7 billion budget surplus for a wide range of legislation aimed at curbing the effects of human-caused climate change. At a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 19, the House Climate Action…
July 9, 2021 Energy News Network Frank Jossi Efficiency upgrades can be a financial boost for low-income homeowners, but asbestos, mold and other issues sometimes found in older homes can keep those improvements financially out of reach, even with incentives. A new Minnesota law aims to bridge that gap. The state’s existing Conservation Improvement Program…
Published June 23, 2021 Yesterday, the Minnesota Senate followed the House of Representatives and passed this year’s package of energy policy and spending legislation. House File 6 combines commerce and energy provisions. (Energy policy is in Article 8 starting on page 98, if you’re digging into the full bill, or you can read a summary…
May 28, 2021 Sahan Journal Andrew Hazzard A rare bipartisan bill aims to help Minnesota lower emissions while offering significant savings for low-income families, including many people of color. Governor Tim Walz signed the Energy Conservation and Optimization (ECO) Act into law May 25. The bill modernizes the state’s Conservation Improvement Program, a long-term energy-…
