Tag: clean energy

Gov. Walz, Lt. Gov. Flanagan, House & Senate DFL Energy Leads Announce Plan to Achieve 100 Percent Clean Energy in Minnesota by 2040


SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today announced a set of policy proposals that will lead Minnesota to 100 percent clean energy in the state’s electricity sector by 2040. The policies build on the success that Minnesota has already achieved in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and increasing the use of clean energy resources to power the state while ensuring reliable, affordable electricity.

“The time to fight climate change is now,” said Governor Walz. “Not only is clean energy the right and responsible choice for future generations, clean energy maximizes job creation and grows our economy, which is especially important as we work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. I am proud to announce a set of policy proposals that will lead Minnesota to 100% clean energy in the state’s electricity sector by 2040. Minnesotans have the ingenuity and innovation needed to power this future, and we are ready to pioneer the green energy economy.”

“We must take immediate action to protect our earth for future generations,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “Burning fossil fuels pollutes our environment, permanently changes our climate for the worse, and wastes money on inefficient and outdated practices. This plan sets a clear path and destination for Minnesota’s clean energy future. Minnesota should be a state that continues to lead on the clean energy economy, and we know we can.”

Continue reading “Gov. Walz, Lt. Gov. Flanagan, House & Senate DFL Energy Leads Announce Plan to Achieve 100 Percent Clean Energy in Minnesota by 2040”

Building a 100 Percent Clean Future Can Drive an Additional $8 Billion a Year to Rural Communities

Center for American Progress logoRural communities face many challenges, and climate change is only making matters worse. Flooding and drought are hitting rural communities hard, causing massive financial losses for farmers, who are also facing low commodity prices and bearing the brunt of an international trade war. And the rural landscape is changing as farmland is being lost to the same development pressures that are contributing to climate change. These challenges are creating a palpable sense among rural residents that their way of life is changing and under threat.

Shifting weather patterns are one of the most noticeable changes. For example, in Iowa, the past 18 months have been the wettest on record, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.1Iowa climatologists cite climate change as one of the key causes of flooding in the state. Across the Midwest, flooding caused $3 billion in damage in 2019.2 According to an August 2019 poll, 1 in 4 Iowans say that they or someone in their family has experienced property damage or other economic hardships as a result of flooding or severe storm damage in the past 12 months.3

Flooding has been especially devastating for farmers. Fields saturated with water forced farmers to leave more than 19 million acres of agricultural land unplanted in 2019.4 Crops that they did manage to plant remained in the ground, as the wet soil coupled with propane shortages (due to pipeline distribution constraints) prevented farmers from drying and storing their grain. These challenges, along with a global trade war, rising input costs, and low prices have been a catastrophic combination, with farm debt projected to hit $415 billion in 2019.5 In addition, from October 2018 through September 2019, Chapter 12 bankruptcies for farms increased 24 percent, with 40 percent occurring in the Midwestern states.6 These factors raise serious questions about the prospects for agriculture and rural livelihoods in the future. Continue  reading.

Economic and environmental cost of Trump’s auto rollback could be staggering, new research shows

The administration’s war with California could cost the U.S. economy $400 billion by mid-century.

The Trump administration’s plan to freeze fuel efficiency standards in defiance of California’s stricter, more environmentally friendly rules is set to have dire ramifications for emissions levels and the economy, according to new research out Wednesday.

Rolling back California’s robust vehicle emissions requirements will cost the U.S. economy $400 billion through 2050, an analysis from the environmental policy group Energy Innovation found. President Donald Trump’s efforts to undo Obama-era rules will also increase U.S. gasoline consumption by up to 7.6 billion barrels, subsequently increasing U.S. transport emissions up to 10% by 2035.

Under Trump, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have been engaged in a bitter feud with California over emissions standards.

View the complete August 7 article by E.A. Crunden on the ThinkProgress website here.

Renewables ‘have won the race’ against coal and are starting to beat natural gas

Meanwhile, the president remains clueless about the clean energy revolution.

The rapidly dropping cost of renewable energy has upended energy economics in recent years, with new solar and wind plants now significantly cheaper than coal power.

But new research shows another major change is afoot: The cost of batteries has been declining so unexpectedly rapidly that renewables plus battery storage are now cheaper than even natural gas plants in many applications, according to a report released this week by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).

BNEF analyzed pricing data from almost 7,000 power projects in 46 countries that span 20 energy technologies, including coal, gas, nuclear, battery storage, solar photovoltaics (PV), and wind.

View the complete March 29 article by Joe Romm on the ThinkProgress website here.

Reps. Long & Stephenson Applaud Governor’s Clean Energy Plan for Minnesota

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today announced their One Minnesota Path to Clean Energy – a set of major energy policy proposals that will lead Minnesota to 100 percent clean energy in the state’s electricity sector by 2050. The policies build on the success that Minnesota has already achieved in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and increasing the use of clean energy resources to power the state while ensuring reliable, affordable electricity.

Rep. Jamie Long (DFL-Minneapolis) is the chief author of HF 700, which prompts Minnesota to move towards 100 percent clean energy and complete the transition by 2050. The bill has already had an informational hearing in the House. Rep. Long released the following statement:

“I was proud to stand with Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan as they announced their plan to achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2050 and am honored to carry the bill in the House,” said Rep. Long. “It’s time for Minnesota to take the lead on addressing climate change. Thank you to Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan for charting a bold course for our state on clean energy.” Continue reading “Reps. Long & Stephenson Applaud Governor’s Clean Energy Plan for Minnesota”

Democrats unveil Green New Deal that would push government to make radical changes

The resolution would force lawmakers to take a position on the deal, and its goals of remaking the U.S. economy within a decade

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez listens as Sen. Ed Markey speaks as Democrats announce their Green New Deal resolution outside of the Capitol on Thursday. Credit: Bill Clark, CQ Roll Call

A resolution outlining the goals of an ambitious progressive plan to overhaul the U.S. economy across all sectors, from finance to energy to social services, was rolled out Thursday with the aim of driving future legislation.

The Green New Deal resolution sponsored in the House by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and in the Senate by Massachusetts Democrat Edward J. Markey cites urgent warnings in two recent major climate reports to compel the federal government to act urgently on the radical changes they say would make the U.S. resilient and sustainable across all sectors.

In an October report, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that unless urgent and drastic action is taken, global temperatures could rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) between 2030 and 2052, which could have catastrophic repercussions for the economy, the environment, humans and wildlife.

View the complete February 7 article by Elvina Nawaguna on The Roll Call website here.

Rep. Long and Sen. Frentz introduce 100 percent clean energy bill

SAINT PAUL, MN — State Representative Jamie Long (DFL—Minneapolis) and State Senator Nick Frentz (DFL—North Mankato) have introduced legislation to move Minnesota towards 100 percent clean energy. This proposal would prompt the state to transition away from power sources that rely on fossil fuels in favor of renewable sources like wind and solar.

Thanks to advances in clean energy technology, Minnesota met its 25% renewable energy goal last year, seven years ahead of the schedule set in the 2007 Next Generation Energy Act. However, the state has failed to hit its targets for reducing greenhouse gases.

“Minnesota has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead our nation’s transition to clean energy, create good homegrown jobs in this new economy, and be a part of building the solutions to climate change,” remarked Rep. Long. “I believe in our ability as Minnesotans to build a successful, thriving clean energy economy. Let’s once again set the national bar for a smart and ambitious transition to clean energy.” Continue reading “Rep. Long and Sen. Frentz introduce 100 percent clean energy bill”

We are paving the way for Chinese dominance in clean energy

The following column by Fred Zilian was posted on the Hill website November 12, 2017:

For early baby-boomers, the federal government’s release on Nov. 3 of the comprehensive science report on climate contained few surprises. It simply confirmed what we have been experiencing for six decades.

The central question is whether the U.S. will surrender to Chinese leadership in this key strategic area of clean energy systems while we plod along relying heavily on carbon-based, dirty fuels.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration oversaw the report, with input from 12 other federal agencies.

Here are some highlights: Over the past 115 years, the average global temperature has increased 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Global temperature has set highs for the last three years, and six of the last 17 years are the warmest on record. Continue reading “We are paving the way for Chinese dominance in clean energy”