Minnesota House energy committee passes Green New Deal-inspired legislation

This week the Minnesota House’s Energy and Climate Finance and Policy Division passed H.F. 1405, the Clean Energy First Act. The bill’s companion in the Senate, S.F. 1456, passed in committee last week. While both bills are titled Clean Energy First, the Senate version is much more pragmatic in its approach, as it attempts to keep costs manageable for Minnesota businesses, something H.F. 1405 does not pretend to do.

Isaac Orr released the following statement:

“The Minnesota House’s version of Clean Energy First is essentially the Green New Deal. It is unserious legislation that has no protections for ratepayers and will cause electricity prices to skyrocket for both residential households and businesses. The increased prices will be for naught, however, since the carbon dioxide emissions goals established by the legislation will be impossible to meet with wind and solar energy alone.

“It is astounding how the House DFL can sanctimoniously claim that climate change is an existential crisis while at the same time refusing to legalize new nuclear power and large hydro, the most reliable, efficient sources of non-emitting electricity available. It is impossible to take their hand-wringing seriously when they won’t take practical steps to meet their own goals.”