Environment Minnesota supports 100% Clean Energy Bill

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Timothy Schaefer

New proposal from Gov. Walz, Sen. Nick Frentz and Rep. Jamie Long “A big step in the right direction”

Environment Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn — Environment Minnesota strongly supports the 100% Clean Energy Bill, introduced by Sen. Nick Frentz, Rep. Jamie Long, the Walz Administration and dozens of climate champions in the Minnesota legislature. This bill would create a new carbon-free by 2040 standard for Minnesota’s electric utilities and increase Minnesota’s existing renewable energy standard (RES), requiring that 55 percent of electricity sold in the state be met with renewable resources by 2035.

“Minnesota’s RES has worked well and pushed utilities in the right direction, but badly needs updating,” said Environment Minnesota state director Tim Schaefer. “It’s been well over a decade since the Next Generation Energy Act became law, back in 2007, and renewable energy technologies have become so much more efficient, affordable and widespread during that time. Put simply, 25-26.5 percent renewable by 2025 just isn’t good enough anymore. We can and should aim much higher, and the proposed increase to Minnesota’s RES in this bill represents a big step in the right direction.”

Minnesota is already experiencing the impacts of our dirty energy past, from polluted air in its cities to a rapidly changing climate. The state needs to do even more to ensure a cleaner, healthier future for Minnesotans, powered by clean and renewable energy. That’s why Environment Minnesota also supports this bill’s new standard of 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040. However, like most environmental groups, Environment Minnesota has deep concerns about our state’s continued reliance on non-renewable, hazardous nuclear energy.

“We’ll continue working for a future where all of our energy comes from truly clean sources that don’t pollute our communities,” said Schaefer. “That means a world free from fossil gas, waste incineration, petroleum fumes, and anything and everything that needlessly hurts our communities.”

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