Phasing out: Utilities, cities prepare for the end of coal-fired energy in Minnesota
The state’s largest utilities are planning to phase out most of their coal-fired plants by the end of the decade.
Energy
After Xcel Energy’s zero-carbon pledge, let’s make sure the public benefits
Meeting our carbon-reduction goal can go in many different directions, so it’s critical now that the PUC and state government protect the public interest. This may be no easy task.
Minnesota knows the way to cut carbon — now we need the will
Twelve years. That’s all the time we have to make one degree of change.
The battle over ‘Losing Earth’: Why a new history of climate inaction has inspired so much pushback
Was there really such broad consensus on what had to be done to address climate change? Was the marquee failure all that pivotal?
Mining is critical to a sustainable 21st-century economy
The recent negative tenor of public discussion about the status of mining has been disheartening. Without mining, we cannot solve our most serious environmental problems, starting with climate change.
Rebuilding Enbridge Line 3 on the proposed route makes a lot of sense
Enbridge Line 3 has been Minnesota’s lifeline to affordable, North American-made crude oil since the 1960s.
There is a better way: The preferred route for a necessary pipeline
PUC staff agreed in a recent report that Enbridge’s new route would have the least impact on the environment.
Wind energy: new revenue, new jobs, new hope
A new report from Moody’s Investors Service highlights how wind projects are boosting tax revenues and helping erase debt in rural communities that host them.
Solar power could be huge in Greater Minnesota — if they can find the people to build it
Last year solar jobs dropped 4 percent nationwide, while in Minnesota they rose 48.2 percent. Many installers complain that they can’t get enough labor for the demand.
Minnesota grid would benefit from a diversified energy portfolio
Clean energy is no longer a liberal pipe dream, and conservatives need to embrace it.
Workers are climbing wind turbines to the middle class
Community colleges — and at least one high school — are starting programs to train students for these in-demand occupations.
Municipalities should remove red tape to encourage solar
If our communities would streamline administrative regulations, we could lower the cost of going solar by as much as $500 for a typical home rooftop system.
U.S. solar growth dimmed a bit in 2017, but Minnesota’s picture stayed brighter
Smaller-scale, community-based “solar gardens” kept Minnesota accelerating as national progress slowed.
Minnesota is in the midst of a massive and historic energy transformation
Our state’s leaders should advance policies that further increase opportunities for growth and innovation in the energy efficiency and clean energy industry.
Chisago County has become a case study in the possibilities and politics of solar energy in Greater Minnesota
Farmers and other landowners in Chisago County have put up a dozen solar gardens, with another four now in the planning stages.
Solar flare-up: new Trump tariffs inject 10,000 watts of uncertainty into one of Minnesota’s fastest growing industries
It wasn’t immediately clear who stood to benefit from the Trump administration’s move.
5 ways Minnesota is better because of the Next Generation Energy Act
Ten years after its passage, the Next Generation Energy Act has been a roaring success, cleaning our air, saving us money, and boosting our economy.
Has the time finally come for offshore wind energy on the Great Lakes?
Proposals to build turbines in North America’s Great Lakes have stalled in recent years — but a new initiative aims to break through the barriers.
Arctic Refuge drilling permission tucked into tax bill: What’s at stake
The move has gotten little attention because of the other huge issues involved in the tax bill.
Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement Project is in the best interest of Minnesotans
The project offers more than $2 billion in economic impact, will better meet our needs for affordable and reliable liquid fuels, and will enhance the safety of our environment.
