Minnesota 100% Clean Energy by 2040

100% Clean Energy by 2040 is the law in Minnesota! For five years we rallied, petitioned, made phone calls, and sent lots of emails in support of a 100% bill. All that work paid off this year when the 100% bill quickly passed the legislature and was signed into law by Governor Walz on February 7. As one of the thousands of people who volunteered in the campaign to pass 100% clean energy, I feel empowered by the win and ready to use the opportunity we have now to do more for climate and equity!

What’s the big deal about 100%?
The 100% Clean Energy law does a lot of important things. First, it secures clean, reliable, and affordable energy for all Minnesotans by requiring utilities to generate power using clean energy methods, the cheapest way of producing power.

More renewable energy sources also means an expanding green energy economy and lots of new jobs, jobs that the bill dictates must pay the prevailing wage in every area.

Ending the fossil fuel economy will begin to clear our air and waters of pollution, preserving Minnesota’s environment and improving the health of communities that have been heavily impacted by fossil fuel pollution.

What’s in the bill?
It’s about 25 pages long, but there are two big victories lodged in the legislature-speak – the 100% clean energy goal and the requirement that the state advance racial, gender, and economic fairness while we move toward that goal.

100% clean energy

This new law requires all Minnesota utilities to be:

• 80% carbon-free by 2030 for public utilities, 60% for smaller utilities
• 90% carbon-free by 2035
• 100% carbon-free by 2040

These limits apply not only to power produced by the utilities but also to power that the utilities buy using regional transmission lines.

Carbon-free production methods include renewables (solar, wind, hydro, biomass, landfill gas, and hydrogen) and carbon-free methods (nuclear). Large energy recovery facilities that release large amounts of pollution like the HERC Trash Burner in Minneapolis are NOT included in the carbon-free methods.

Advancing fairness

The 100% Clean Energy Bill requires the Public Utilities Commision (PUC) to consider (for the first time!) what impact their decisions will have on historically marginalized communities in environmental justice areas in Minnesota. This includes areas where more than 50% of the residents are nonwhite, 40% or more of the residents have an income below 185% of the federal poverty rate, and areas within Indian country. This means that utilities now have to prove that any changes they propose will benefit those communities, not harm them.

Accountability

How will we know if utilities are following the law? Utilities now must report every two years to legislative leaders on their progress in:

• Creating family-supporting jobs at prevailing wage rate.
• Providing workers with the tools, opportunities, and assistance needed to transition to clean energy jobs, particularly in environmental justice areas.
• Increasing the diversity of the utility’s workforce and vendors.
• Lowering air emissions, particularly in environmental justice areas.
• Keeping electricity affordable for low-income Minnesotans.

The fight for a better climate future is just beginning!

The 100% clean energy bill is a first (big!) step in Minnesota toward the climate future we all want to see, but there is a lot more work to do. Tee McClenty, Executive Director of MN350, said, “Today we celebrate this step toward the clean energy future we know is needed if our planet has any chance of survival. Tomorrow we continue fighting against false climate solutions such as trash incinerators and carbon capture — and FOR a just transition to regenerative and renewable systems in the energy, food, transportation sectors, and more.”

There is more climate justice legislation being considered right now in the legislature. Want to know more about those pending bills and what you can do to help get them passed? https://mn350.org/policy-action-team/ to learn how you can help make climate justice a priority in Minnesota.

Summary sourced by Jay Lieberman, https://350.org volunteer.

Bill Text: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?session=ls93&number=HF7&session_number=0&session_year=2023&version=list

Policy Analysis

Does the policy solution re-distribute power from mainstream institutions to impacted Black community?

The law requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to consider the impacts of its decisions on historically marginalized communities, including areas where more than 50% of residents are nonwhite, areas with significant low-income populations, and Indigenous territories. Utilities must demonstrate that proposed changes will benefit these communities and not cause harm. While this inclusion promotes consideration of marginalized groups, the policy does not explicitly transfer decision-making authority to Black communities.

Does this policy provide more decision-making power at the hands of Black communities?

The legislation mandates that utilities report biennially on their progress in creating family-supporting jobs, particularly in environmental justice areas, and in increasing workforce and vendor diversity, for the first time ever. While the law does not explicitly grant Black communities increased decision-making power over energy policies or projects, with more diversity efforts and better paying jobs, Black families are likely to benefit from enhanced self determination through financial and job security. This is also a win because it puts the burden of proof of benefits on the PUC.

Does the policy undermine extractive economies like capitalism and restore community power around a local and regenerative economy/ primary production?

The law promotes a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, aiming to reduce pollution which disproportionately impacts Black people and improve public health. This transition supports the development of a green energy economy, potentially fostering local and regenerative economic opportunities. However, the policy does not explicitly address the broader economic structures, such as capitalism, that underpin extractive practices

Does the policy repair past harm and uphold civil and human rights, health and environmental protections?

By focusing on environmental justice and requiring utilities to lower emissions in historically marginalized areas, the policy seeks to address past environmental harms. The emphasis on creating well-paying jobs and improving air quality aligns with upholding civil and human rights, as well as health and environmental protections.

Analysis developed by Natalie Rivas