Montana regulators have approved a new copper mine, known as the Black Butte Copper Project, in Central Montana. The mine is owned by Sandfire Resources America Inc., and the company…
A lot of states are experiencing tremendous job loss due to the economic shutdown. In the beginning, most of these job losses were concentrated in the service industry. But other…
We’re delighted to report that Senator Jason Rarick (R) cited American Experiment’s research on copper nickel mining in Minnesota in his piece to the Mitchell Hamline School of Law Journal…
Many people in the Twin Cities are vaguely aware of the fact that Minnesota mines iron ore, but few understand the scale or importance of mining to the communities who…
Yesterday the Minnesota Court of Appeals dealt a setback to the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northern Minnesota. In the ruling, the Court sent two crucial permits, the permit to…
Happy New Year! As we ring in 2020, here are the final illegal shenanigans union bosses committed in 2019, courtesy of the Office of Labor-Management Standards. Let's hope their New…
This weekend, Mike Hughlett of the Star Tribune wrote an excellent article entitled “Minnesota’s Days of Cheaper Electricity Seem Numbered,” which details how Minnesota electricity prices have increased substantially in…
In Minnesota, groceries are fully exempt from the state’s sales tax base, but candy is treated differently than groceries and is therefore not included in the exemption.
The news broke last Friday that Xcel Energy is proposing a massive 15.2 percent increase in their electricity prices to cover the company’s desire to spend $466 million over the…
This op ed appeared in the Duluth News Tribune on November 1st, 2019 In a column on Twin Metals’ planned sulfide ore copper mine (Local View: “Arrowhead better served without…
The Washington Post reported on Monday (June 17) that Michigan Sen. Gary Peters was gearing up to propose (in the newspaper’s words) “the creation of a new federal agency to…
Electricity bills in Minnesota are lower than other states in the Midwest because we use less electricity, not because we're getting a deal on our bills.
The article below was written by Thomas Content, who is the Director of the Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin CUB eloquently argues that the government-approved monopoly utility company in…
According to the United States Geological Survey, Minnesota mined $4.05 billion in non-fuel minerals in 2018, making it the fifth-largest state for mining, in terms of the value of minerals…
Minnesota and my homeland of Wisconsin are often portrayed as rivals with large differences, but when it comes to solar power, they're both scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Well, folks. The results of the Energy Information Administration’s autopsy of the January 2019 polar vortex are in and wind fared very poorly, mainly because wind plants were turned off…
In today’s tight labor market, employers are being increasingly creative in their search for workforce talent. One new source: Disabled people. In 2017, more than 51,000 individuals left the disability…
The impact of Janus v. AFSCME on union membership losses in Minnesota is not fully known yet. In states that passed right-to-work laws prior to Janus, it took several years for…
A deadly cold front recently swept through the Midwest, but thanks to nuclear energy, coal and natural gas, things did not turn out as badly as they could have. Most people stayed…
Hi All, I hope you’re getting outside today to enjoy the balmy 38! degree weather. If you’re out and about or walking the dog, here are two podcasts I appeared…
Seven common-sense ideas that will transform Minnesota's economy for generations.
The Minnesota state demographer expects the population in five northern counties to shrink, on net, by 9,710 people by 2050. That is, unless 8,500 people are employed as a result…
There is, in fact, quantitative analysis applicable to a recent commentary, but this is an issue that also can (and should) be discussed qualitatively — and with grace. This Counterpoint…
A recent paper by two Harvard economists argued that the economic benefits of mining would be outweighed by its negative impact on the recreational industry and on in-migration. But yet another of…