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on April 14, 2019
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MN Green New Deal, or Green Leap Forward? HF 2836 is the Latest in Minnesota’s Green New Deal Saga

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy, Environment

How many versions of a Minnesota Green New Deal (GND) will DFL lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduce before the end of the legislative session? Thus far at least three different versions have been introduced, each seemingly more energy illiterate than the last. HF 2836 lives up to this standard, and then says "hold my beer." 100 percent "carbon free" by 2030 without allowing large hydro or lifting the ban on new nuclear power plants "By 2030, 100 percent of the electricity each electric utility subject to subdivision 2a provides directly to Minnesota retail customers, or indirectly provides through wholesale sales to...

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on March 22, 2019
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Doubling Down on Failure Installment 1: Comparing the Costs of Wind and Solar, Nuclear, and Coal

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

As you probably know by now, American Experiment has released a new study entitled Doubling Down on Failure, How a 50 percent by 2030 Renewable Energy Standard Would Cost Minnesota $80.2 Billion.   The study is more than 80 pages, including appendices and citations, so I will be breaking down the key findings in more manageable bites on the website. Today, I'll break down the four main energy scenarios we examined and why we chose them....

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on March 18, 2019
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Doubling Down on Failure Fact Sheet

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

Minnesota currently has a law mandating that 25 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, by 2025. Some lawmakers have proposed doubling the renewable energy mandate (REM), requiring that 50 percent of our electricity be generated by renewable sources by the year 2030, and Governor Walz has proposed a 100 percent carbon-dioxide-free electric grid by 2050. This report chose to calculate the impact of a 50 percent REM, rather than a 100 percent REM, because research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows using wind, solar, and batteries to achieve 100 percent of electricity...

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on March 12, 2019
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American Experiment Releases Groundbreaking New Study on the High Cost of Renewable Energy Mandates in Minnesota

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

American Experiment is pleased to announce we are releasing a groundbreaking new study detailing the high cost renewable energy mandates in Minnesota. On the 2018 campaign trail, many DFL candidates, including Governor Tim Walz, said they would make obtaining 50 percent of Minnesota's electricity by 2030 a top priority in their policy platform. Now DFL'ers in Minnesota are pushing their own version of the Green New Deal, mandating that Minnesota must get 100 percent of its electricity from "carbon free" resources by 2050. Our study found that attempting to achieve a 50 percent renewable energy mandate would cost Minnesota $80.2 billion...

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on October 04, 2018
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Beware of “Conservative” Groups Pushing For Renewable Energy and Carbon Taxes

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

Every year, millions of dollars are spent propping up astroturf groups that pretend to be conservative that push for decidedly unconservative policies including taxing carbon dioxide emissions and advocating for renewable energy. This happens both on the national level, and in states around the country. According to an article in the Daily Caller: "Wealthy charitable foundations spent $10 million on an effort that included handing money to conservative and libertarian think tanks and grassroots organizations to promote “a stable climate” and “a clean energy future” among other environmental issues, The Daily Caller News Foundation has found." "For example, two foundations that promote liberal energy...

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