Minnesota Adopts Renewable Energy Law |
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| By Ka-bar in Energy, Green Politics | February 23, 2007 | |
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty recently signed a new law mandating that 25% of Minnesota’s energy will come from renewable sources by 2025. This is big news, especially for a Midwestern state that doesn’t have large amounts of hydropower resources to draw upon. In addition, Xcel Energy, the state’s largest power utility, will be raising their percentage of electricity generated from renewable sources from the current rate of 7% up to 30% by 2020.
Minnesota has been frequently mentioned as a hotbed of ethanol production and advocacy, since it is in the middle of the Corn Belt, and there are a number of wind farms in the southwestern corner of the state. It’s refreshing to see the state look at the long-term picture and start embracing more renewable energy options than just biofuels. As the story notes, there are some loopholes in place, but I think this is just the first of many laws coming out of the legislature in coming years as Minnesota embarks on its journey to a post-carbon future.
