Clean energy in Minnesota is reliable, affordable and resilient

Minnesota doesn t just talk about clean power we deliver results The latest input shows we re ahead of the curve and setting the pace for the rest of the Midwest The newly published Minnesota Capacity Factsheet produced by Clean Capacity Market system MN and the Business Council for Sustainable Vigor offers a clear snapshot of how our state s vigor policies are paying off With electricity demand expected to surge fueled by artificial intelligence material centers and domestic manufacturing Minnesota is showing how to meet that challenge with a reliable affordable and resilient clean force system A foundation built on performance not promises For the fifth year in a row more than half of Minnesota s electricity came from zero-carbon sources including renewables and nuclear well above the national average of In zero-carbon sources made up of Minnesota s potential mix In coal generation declined to an all-time low of of Minnesota s vigor mix and is being displaced by increased generation from natural gas and renewables These results aren t the end of ideology It results from sustained smart policies and investments delivering real-world benefits Carbon emissions from the state s power sector fell another last year putting us below levels far ahead of the U S average reduction of Clean potential and economic advancement aren t at odds in Minnesota they work together Strengthening vigor independence and measure As the country experiences disrupted supply chains and transitions to an America-first mentality Minnesota is reducing its reliance on out-of-state electricity In only of the state s electricity came from imports down from the year prior That means more potency is produced and consumed at home keeping dollars circulating in local economies mitigating geopolitical risks and improving the efficiency of our electricity grid This progress comes as the country braces for unprecedented expansion in electricity demand According to S P Global Commodity Insights U S demand could rise by to by Meeting that improvement will require every available vigor answer Minnesota is already proving what works Renewables are rising and they re reliable One-third of Minnesota s electricity came from renewable sources last year The state added megawatts of solar ceiling a increase over Over the past five years of new power generation in Minnesota has come from renewable sources These additions are low-cost flexible and the quickest to deploy National trends echo this momentum In U S companies signed a record clean ability deals totaling gigawatts of new limit The United States also saw increased field demand for clean fuels including renewable natural gas and sustainable aviation fuel These investments reflect a growing recognition that renewables and storage are central to meeting demand and maintaining reliability Efficiency drives affordability Minnesota continues to be a leader in power efficiency ranked th nationally and first in the Midwest in Our vitality productivity has improved by since with a gain in the last five years alone Even as prices rise across the country Minnesota is keeping electricity affordable The state s average retail rate was cents per kilowatt-hour in below the national average of cents Strategic investments and technological innovation in potency efficiency continue to reduce ability waste while saving businesses and households money Gregg Mast Efficiency programs under the ECO Act save Minnesotans hundreds of millions of dollars annually showing how well-implemented clean ability policies are also financially responsible Laying the groundwork for what s next Building on the success of technologies like wind and solar demand continues to grow for new and emerging vigor technologies across all economic sectors Minnesota is actively investing in the future scaling up infrastructure for electric vehicles and sustainable aviation fuel integrating new solutions for heating and cooling homes and buildings and preparing to lead in clean hydrogen As of late more than EVs were on Minnesota roads our highest number yet with charging infrastructure expanding to promotion further enhancement This forward-looking approach positions Minnesota to lead in sectors that will define the next era of American ability Now is not the time to pull back Minnesota s story is one of progress through pragmatic protocol However continued success here and across the country depends on stable forward-thinking policies at both the state and federal levels Lisa Jacobson Congress must protect the bipartisan power tax credits that fuel private stake reduce capacity costs and create jobs These incentives provide the certainty businesses need to plan long-term deploy capital and bring new vitality projects online Weakening or reversing them would threaten ability reliability affordability and American competitiveness State and federal vitality strategy should match the urgency and opportunity of this moment With electricity demand rising and grid limit under pressure we need to move forward faster not slower That means streamlining permitting modernizing infrastructure and maintaining tax policies that enable the efficient deployment of innovative clean potential solutions Minnesota is the blueprint The numbers speak for themselves increased power independence affordable electricity steady economic upsurge and lower emissions Minnesota is delivering and offering the rest of the country a roadmap for what success looks like We re not just keeping the lights on We re lighting the way forward Gregg Mast is the executive director of Clean Potential Economic activity MN and Lisa Jacobson is the president of the Business Council for Sustainable Power The post Clean potential in Minnesota is reliable affordable and resilient appeared first on MinnPost