Energy
The cost of energy here in Minnesota is rising at a pace faster than many other states, largely due to additional mandates and rules issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The fact is, Minnesota is losing our competitive advantage because of our energy costs.
We need to slow down those mandates and we have to quit forcing our utility companies to spend money on technology that just isn’t ready yet. Working toward more sustainable energy sources is an excellent goal, but newer technologies like solar power just aren’t reliable today.
For example, Xcel Energy is required to buy the energy generated from community solar gardens in Minnesota. This is the most expensive form of energy on our transmission lines right now. And that ultimately drives up the cost of energy for all Xcel customers in Minnesota.
And the California Emissions Standards that Governor Walz is pushing are absolutely wrong for Minnesota. No one should mandate how we build our cars or how many vehicles sold per year must be electric—another technology that just isn’t reliable enough to use in our state. This must be reversed immediately upon returning to St. Paul.
I am committed to working on our energy policies in Minnesota to improve affordability and reliability.