On November 10, 2020 a group of environmental organizations wrote a letter to the Star Tribune stating an expanded Line 3 pipeline would be the carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent of…
Last week, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Pollution Control Agency approved permits for the Line 3 oil pipeline operated by Enbridge. As we have noted many times,…
According to Xcel Energy, the largest electric utility company in the state of Minnesota, the closing of large “baseload” power facilities in favor of renewable energy sources like wind and…
Buried within Xcel Energy’s latest resource planning documents lies a dire warning about the rapidly growing presence of wind and solar energy sources on Minnesota’s electrical grid. [Appendix J of the document].…
Energy policy in Minnesota is a mess. Liberal politicians, profit-seeking, government-approved monopoly utilities like Xcel Energy, and environmental groups are pushing for the closure of Minnesota’s reliable coal-fired power plants,…
Yesterday, I wrote about how the Minnesota “Conservative” Energy Forum received nearly 86 percent its funding from the liberal Energy Foundation in 2017, the most recent year for which data…
As this legislative session draws to a close, Minnesota lawmakers will be considering changes to the state’s Conservation Improvement Program (CIP). Among the changes considered are provisions that would allow…
On Tuesday, April 7, 2020, the Star Tribune ran a story entitled “New Suburban Solar Projects Part of a Wave of New Projects in Minnesota.” The article discusses businesses that…
A bill before the legislature sends a clear message to would-be eco-terrorists who may be targeting Minnesota. Anyone enlisting and educating individuals with the goal of damaging energy infrastructure in…
The last two days I’ve reviewed The Good and The Bad parts of the proposed Clean Energy First legislation currently circulating in the Minnesota States Senate. Today, in sticking with…
Yesterday, I wrote about The Good aspects of the Minnesota State Senate’s Clean Energy First bill. Today I’ll talk about The Bad aspects, and tomorrow I’ll suggest ways to amend…
With 2020 upon us, I’d like to reflect back on 2019 because it was a banner year for energy and environmental issues here at Center of the American Experiment. Here…
Minnesota has more power plants than Texas, according to federal Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. This is despite the fact that Minnesota has 23 million fewer people than the Lone…
The Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association (MMUA) represents electric utilities that are owned and operated by municipal governments throughout the state of Minnesota. The association publishes a monthly newsletter, and one…
Last week I gave a talk in St. Cloud Minnesota about the findings of our report, Doubling Down on Failure, as part of our Morning in Minnesota Breakfast series to about…
Last week I had an opinion editorial in the St. Paul Pioneer Press discussing how Minnesota’s foray into wind and solar has led to higher electricity costs for no measurable…
Will the utilities let Trump’s ACE rule help Minnesota’s miners and manufacturers?
This is a great testament to the importance of reading past a headline. Upon first glance at this article from The Associated Press, “Indiana regulators reject Vectren plan for gas…
Yesterday the Trump administration finalized the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, which is designed to improve efficiency at coal-fired power plants. As a result, these plants would produce more electricity…
Yesterday I posted about how India is building a lot of coal-fired power plants. These power plants would have a generation capability equal to building the Sherburne County (Sherco) coal-fired…
During the legislative session, we heard Governor Walz, House DFL members, and liberal environmentalists call climate change an “existential crisis,” several times (give or take a million). This so-called crisis…
The failed wind turbine next to the St. Cloud VA hospital will finally be dismantled this summer after sitting idle since 2012. Now that the fate of this boondoggle is…
Last week, Xcel Energy announced their desire to shutter the last of their coal-fired power plants a decade earlier than previously planned. If approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission…
100 percent of Minnesota's existing coal plants generate electricity at a lower cost than new wind, even using BNEF's assumptions- which are likely unrealistic. Looks like claims that Minnesota can…