on May 05, 2020

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Lakefield City Council Won’t Enforce Governor Walz’s Stay At Home Order

Written by Isaac Orr

A small town in Southwestern Minnesota has decided enough is enough. Last night, the Lakefield City Council voted to take a stand against Gov. Tim Walz’s stay-at-home order and temporary closure of bars, restaurants and other places of public accommodation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The City Council pledged to not direct any city resources to enforcing the orders, according to the Lakefield Standard. The council passed a resolution affirming the city as a “constitutional and business-friendly community” on a 3-2 vote following a lengthy and sometimes heated discussion. To my knowledge, this vote represents the first city in the state...

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on April 20, 2020

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Minnesotans Don’t Want California Car Mandates, Even If the Natural Resources Defense Council Does

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment, Transportation

On April 16, 2020 the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) wrote an article entitled "Minnesotans Want Clean Cars: The Oil Industry, Not So Much." The article, which mentions Center of the American Experiment by name, was meant to be a defense of Governor Walz's attempt to force Minnesotans to obey California car mandates for low emissions vehicles and zero emissions vehicles. However, the NRDC article made several easily-refutable claims that merit correcting, and these claims will be discussed below. In reality, American Experiment's polling has found that California's car regulations are deeply unpopular in Minnesota because the vast majority of Minnesotans...

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on April 15, 2020

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Tune in at Noon Today to Learn Everything Wrong With Minnesota’s Green New Deal!

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz continues to march Minnesota toward a Green New Deal. Whether it's mandating Minnesotans be forced to comply with California car mandates, or attempting to force the electric grid to be 100 percent "carbon free" without the help of nuclear or large hydro, Walz's liberal, metro-centric worldview continues to drive up the cost of living for all Minnesotans. Click HERE to register! After the presentation, Isaac will answer your questions in a live audience Q&A. Submit your questions in advance by clicking here! Join us Wednesday, April 15 at 12:00 pm by signing up HERE! Questions? Contact Kathryn Hinderaker at kathryn.hinderaker@americanexperiment.org....

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on April 08, 2020

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Walz Administration Plans to Push Ahead with Controversial California Car Mandates After Coronavirus Situation has Settled

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment, Transportation

On April 3, 2020, the Walz Administration announced that it still plans on pushing the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to adopt California's controversial car mandates for low emission vehicles (LEV) and zero emission vehicles (ZEV) in Minnesota before the end of 2020, but that the original timeline would be pushed back as a result of the Coronavirus. While American Experiment has been the leading critic of the Walz Administration's attempt to adopt California's car standards because it will violate the private property rights of auto dealers, increase costs for consumers by $2,000 to $2,500 per vehicle, force auto dealers to...

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on March 03, 2020

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Clear Energy Alliance: The EV Dream

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment, Transportation

Governor Walz wants to adopt California's car mandates requiring that car manufacturers deliver electric vehicles for sale in Minnesota, but this video from the Clear Energy Alliance pours cold water on the frequently-used talking points used to promote these vehicles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaesOIY3I4U&feature=youtu.be...

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on February 24, 2020

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Why Is Governor Walz Trying to Mandate Cars That Nobody Wants?

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy, Transportation

Last week, I testified before a joint hearing of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee about the Walz administration's desire to force Minnesotans to comply with California's car mandates for low emission vehicles (LEVs) and zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). During their testimonies, advocates of these new mandates claimed they are needed because there is a huge demand for some models of electric vehicles (EVs) that are not currently offered Minnesota, and that they would be offered here if the mandates went into effect. However, survey data from CleanTechnica.com, which is a website dedicated to promoting renewables and electric vehicles, shows...

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on February 06, 2020

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Walz Accelerates Push for Unpopular California Car Mandates in Minnesota

Written by Isaac Orr

in Cinema, Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy, Transportation

It appears Governor Walz is accelerating his push to circumvent the legislative process by using the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to impose unpopular California car mandates on Minnesota. These new regulations would force Minnesota to adopt California's mandates for low emission vehicles (LEVs) and zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) exactly as they are written in California. In our quarterly Thinking Minnesota poll, Center of the American Experiment found these mandates, which would increase the cost of vehicles sold in Minnesota, are deeply unpopular. The polling shows 68 percent of Minnesotans oppose the Governor's proposed California car mandates, if it would increase...

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on February 05, 2020

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Federal Data Show Walz’s Line 3 Delay Has Been an Anti-Science Charade

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment

On Monday, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) voted in favor of three key approvals for the Line 3 oil pipeline replacement project, a revised environmental review, a certificate of need, and a route permit by a three to one margin. Although this is very good news that should allow the replacement of the aging pipeline to begin this year, federal data from the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) show the delay should have never happened in the first place. During the Gubernatorial campaign, Tim Walz expressed his support for replacing the aging Line 3 pipeline, which transports crude...

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on January 31, 2020

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German Electricity Prices Have Increased 2.5 Times Since 2008

Written by Isaac Orr

in Uncategorized

Every year for the last several years, Minnesota lawmakers have piled onto a plane to visit Germany, which is supposedly a renewable energy utopia. It is amazing that so many taxpayer dollars can be used to learn so little, because Germany is a prime example of what not to do. I've written about this topic many times, but the myth that Germany's energy system is a success story never seems to go away. Over the last 12 years, Germany has spent hundreds of billions of Euro on wind and solar, and the only thing they have to show for it is...

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on December 09, 2019

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American Experiment Submits 27 Pages of Comments Opposing the California Car Mandates

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment, Transportation

Last Friday, Center of the American Experiment submitted comments opposing Governor Walz's attempt to force Minnesota to comply with California's Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) and Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) car mandates. The comments, which span 27 pages, highlight several reasons why the California mandates are bad news for Minnesota....

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