Gregg Mast shares his memories from Clean Energy Business Day and what we're working on at the legislature.
Minnesota Legislative Update
Deadlines loom
The first weeks of March will be a busy time for clean energy discussions in St. Paul. March marks the beginning of legislative deadlines. Every year the leadership in the House and Senate establish deadlines for committee action on bills. Committee deadlines winnow the list of topics to be dealt with in a given legislative year.
Clean Energy First legislation is moving forward in the Minnesota Senate. We expect the bill to head to a favorable floor vote in the coming weeks. A matching, but very different bill, is working its way through the House of Representatives.
Each bill represents a different vision for our clean energy future.
CEEM testified in support of a House bill last week seeking to address challenges within the state's community solar garden program. House hearings were contentious, but the bill passed out of committee. The Senate does not currently have a bill in process, throwing uncertainty on if and how Minnesota’s nation-leading community solar program may move forward.
On Wednesday, March 4, we held the fourth annual Clean Energy Business Day at the Capitol. Around 200 people from our industries signed up to attend, raising our voices and discussing policies affecting our businesses and the future of Minnesota.
The days’ festivities kicked off with the delivery of a proclamation from Governor Walz announcing the day was officially to be called ‘Clean Energy Business Day’ across the state. The crowd was treated to remarks from Commerce Commissioner Steve Kelley, who spoke about the clean energy business communities’ many contributions to economic growth in the state and helping meet the Renewable Energy Standard seven years ahead of schedule.
Thank you to everyone who came out to the Capitol and participated. Your voices are so important as we work toward transitioning to a clean energy economy in Minnesota.
2020 Vision: most significant bipartisan action on clean energy in over a decade
Clean Energy First will work to decarbonize Minnesota’s electricity supply. ECO will empower Minnesotans on how, when, and how efficiently they use that clean electricity supply. Both are necessary for Minnesota to once again lead by example on climate and clean energy.
Our organization will be heading to the annual IMPACT conference, taking place this year taking place on May 5-6 in St. Paul, Minnesota, and we hope you will join us!
Solar was always part of the plan for Todd Katzenberger, co-owner of The Cliff Dweller Hotel in Tofte, Minnesota. Before he and his wife bought the hotel in 2017, Todd had been a manager at a plant that had implemented several energy efficiency improvements, which helped spark his interest in clean energy. When the time came to replace the roof at their hotel this past year it felt like the perfect opportunity to install solar. “The way I see it, anything you can do to be green and reduce costs is a great benefit for a business,” said Todd.
Sundial Solar installed his solar PV system and recommended that he look into Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) through the Saint Paul Port Authority. In addition to PACE, Todd also took advantage of the 30% solar investment tax credit as well as a $20,000 Business Energy Retrofit (BER) grant, which is funded by the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) and administered by the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA). With the federal tax credit and the BER grant, Todd saved around $50,000 on the project. All of these savings have earned him an estimated payback period of just 6.5 years.
On Monday, Feb. 17, the Minnesota House Climate Action Caucus proposed a package of bills to invest in electric buses and cars, solar production, energy efficiency improvements to buildings and more.