Minnesotans ‘dodge a bullet’ as carbon-free energy mandates don’t make the cut in final budget bill

(St. Paul, MN) – Isaac Orr, Policy Fellow at Center of the American Experiment, released the following statement in response to the newly posted budget agreement for Jobs, Energy, and Commerce, which does not include a 100% carbon-free energy mandate. Orr testified in front of House and Senate energy committees six times during the 2019 legislative session in opposition to the mandate.

“Minnesotans dodged a bullet this legislative session. If the ‘Green New Deal’ style carbon-free energy mandate had passed, the costs to Minnesota families, businesses, and the state government would have crippled our state’s economy. Despite the costs, there would be no measurable impact on global warming for at least the next eighty years. I’m sure the energy monopoly pushing the plan is disappointed, though, since its shareholders stood to make a killing off of needlessly high energy prices.

“Even a 50% renewable energy mandate would cost Minnesota $80.2 billion – approximately quadruple the yearly state budget – and prevent only 0.0006 degrees C of global warming by 2100. The environmental impact would be far too small to be measured with even the most sophisticated scientific equipment, but it would cost each Minnesota family $1,200 more per year.”

Isaac Orr is a policy fellow at Center of the American Experiment, where he writes about energy and environmental issues, including mining and electricity policy. Prior to joining Center of the America Experiment, Isaac served as a research fellow at The Heartland Institute, where he specialized in energy and environmental policy. Isaac has written extensively on hydraulic fracturing, frac sand mining and electricity policy, among other energy and environmental issues. His writings have appeared in The Wall Street Journal,USA Today, the New York Post, The Hill, Orange County Register, The Washington Times, and many other publications.

Center of the American Experiment is “Minnesota’s Think Tank.” For more than 25 years, the Center has been the most impactful and effective public policy organization in Minnesota, leading the way in creating and advocating policies that make Minnesota a freer, more prosperous and better-governed state. The Center is a civic and educational 501(c)(3) organization.