ST. PAUL, MN – On, Thursday, Feb. 2, Senate Republicans put forth their A+ Energy Plan to support the progress of clean energy while promoting reliable, affordable, and “always on” energy planning for Minnesota.

Highlights of the A+ Energy Plan include:  

• Allowing nuclear construction in the state  
• Authorizing hydroelectric power to count as a renewable energy  
• Affordable renewable natural gas to continue to reduce emissions  
• Always On natural gas and coal for reliability and affordability  
• All-of-the-Above strategy to mix solar, wind, hydroelectric, hydrogen, and biomass with our current energy sources

“Ensuring a reliable and affordable energy outlook for Minnesota requires keeping all options on the table,” said Senator Coleman. “That is why the Senate Republicans’ A+ Energy Plan takes an all-of-the-above strategy to mix renewable, carbon-free energy with our current energy sources. We can all agree that it’s essential to incorporate more renewable, zero-carbon energy into our state’s energy strategy. However, this must be balanced with affordability for consumers and the reliability of our energy grid.”

The A+ Energy Plan recognizes the importance of Minnesota’s carbon footprint, and therefore, takes an all-of-the-above approach that includes carbon-free energy sources such as solar and wind. By having all options on the table, Minnesota’s energy future would be clean, reliable and cost-efficient. 

This can be contrasted with the Democrats’ 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 mandate that passed out of the Senate on party-line votes, and recently, was signed into law. It closes off our state to coal and natural gas and mandates the shift to renewable energy sources of solar, wind, hydroelectric, hydrogen, and biomass. And as a result, energy experts estimate that this mandate will cause Minnesota families to see their electric bills increase by an average of nearly $1,650per year. The legislation also puts Minnesota’s grid at great risk, as it shuts down the state’s existing, reliable supply of energy.

Senate Republicans offered a number of amendments to address these well-known concerns during the vigorous debate on the floor. Democrats, however, were unwilling to vote for any amendment and chose to pass an extreme energy policy that will raise costs, reduce reliability, and is in fact dangerous.