American Experiment on Minnesota's Economy

News Alert: Environmentally Responsible Mining Will Boost Minnesota’s Economy $3.7 Billion a Year and Create 8,500 Jobs

Minnesota Economy Reports

Unearthing Prosperity: How Environmentally Responsible Mining Will Boost Minnesota’s Economy

Written by Isaac Orr on Aug 13 2018

Executive Summary Minnesota’s unique geology makes the state a treasure trove of mineral resources. In 2017, Minnesota mined $3.18 billion in metals and minerals primarily iron ore, sand and gravel,...
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The Cost of Minnesota’s Estate Tax

Written by John Phelan on Feb 22 2018

Executive Summary Minnesota taxes estates more heavily than most states. It is one of only fourteen states plus the District of Columbia to levy an estate tax. Eight of those fourteen states and the D...
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The State of Minnesota’s Economy: 2017: Performance continues to be lackluster

Written by John Phelan and Tori Roloff on Nov 11 2017

Executive Summary Money isn’t everything, but a strong and growing economy is vital for many of the things we take for granted living in Minnesota. Without high incomes we would struggle to cope wit...
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Minnesota Economy Articles

Oxfam is wrong about ‘obscene’ wealth

Posted by Peter Zeller on Jan 27 2017

Last week Oxfam released a sensational report that said eight people have “obscene” wealth, as much as the poorest half of the world’s population. I don’t dispute this statistic, but is inequa...
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How much is ‘Green Bling’ costing your town or city?

Posted by Kim Crockett on Jan 23 2017

Edina’s expensive foray into feel-good environmental projects is a case in point. Sunday’s front page featured a story about how Edina and other suburban communities are installing solar proje...
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Michael Saltsman: Painless? Study on $15 Minneapolis wage doesn’t add up

Posted by Peter Zeller on Oct 14 2016

It draws on research funded by same unions pushing for hike. If a new economic report commissioned by the city of Minneapolis is to be believed, a proposed $15 minimum wage in the city will bring mo...
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Minnesota Economy Posts

Want to Save on Your Utility Bill? This Minn. Nonprofit Has Some Tips

Posted by Isaac Orr on Nov 15 2018

MPR ran a piece about the efforts of Citizens Utility Board (CUB) of Minnesota to educate people on how to lower their utility bills. Among the brilliant, energy-saving insights provided by CUB were: ...
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When Will Fair Trade Coffee Drinkers Embrace Fair Trade Cobalt?

Posted by Isaac Orr on Nov 14 2018

Copper, nickel, and cobalt mining is a controversial topic in Minnesota, but is it more controversial than child labor? Like it or not, we all use these metals for nearly every aspect of our modern...
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Listen Up: Isaac Orr Talks About the Importance of Keeping Existing Power Plants Running on the Plugged in Podcast

Posted by Isaac Orr on Nov 13 2018

I had the pleasure of being on the Plugged In podcast, hosted by the Institute for Energy Research, last week. On the show, I talk about why closing down existing coal and nuclear plants is a bad idea...
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A Little Math Shows Switching to Natural Gas Will Probably Increase Fuel Costs for Minnesota Ratepayers

Posted by Isaac Orr on Nov 12 2018

It’s a common refrain for energy policy: it is cheaper to generate electricity from natural gas than coal. In some respects this is true, but power plant efficiency and fuel prices are important...
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High Electricity Prices Cripple Australian Manufacturers, Is Minnesota Next?

Posted by Isaac Orr on Nov 11 2018

Companies throughout Australia are reconsidering whether they will indeed bring manufacturing jobs back from China after experiencing enormous increases in electricity prices as a result of the closur...
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