Friends and neighbors,

On Thursday, Feb. 2, the Democrats’ Extreme Blackout Bill passed out of the Minnesota Senate with party-line votes. This legislation requires 100% of Minnesota’s electricity to be from carbon-free sources by 2040 – in just 17 years. 

This legislation 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 shockingly, it doesn’t include base load options like scalable hydro or new, innovative nuclear modular plants – like our own U.S. military uses on their Navy ships.

We all know how severe Minnesota winters can be, and that is why we need reliable power for days when temperatures dip below zero. And on the below-zero day this legislation passed, MISO showed less than 25% of Minnesota’s electricity was generated from wind and solar. Therefore, we must ensure that all options are on the table and that no current reliable forms of energy are removed from the equation. The Democrats’ mandate, however, only looks to unreliable forms of energy generation and ignores other clean innovative options.

We have also all heard about rolling blackouts, and for many of us, these are mainly out of sight, out of mind. However, Minnesota could soon face devastating blackouts as we have seen in California, North Carolina and Texas. We are already on the verge of an energy crisis, and our grid will be even more fragile by transitioning to 100% carbon-free electricity. Renewable, clean energy sources are great, but we must ensure Minnesota’s diverse portfolio of energy that will continue to keep our lights on. 

And finally, the 100% carbon-free mandate would be extremely costly, and energy experts estimate families would see their electric bills increase by an average of nearly $1,650 per year. If the Biden administration inflation hasn’t hit you hard enough, the Democrats’ zero-carbon mandate will cause it to hit you again. And I have heard this echoed by many small businesses and constituents who are very concerned about how this legislation will affect their pocketbooks. 

It is noble to pursue renewable energy that is effective, cleaner, affordable, and homegrown, but not before it’s fully ‘battle tested’, to know we can afford and rely on it. Moving this bill in less than a month of hearings is extreme and reckless policymaking pushed by Democrats. This will only leave Minnesotans in the dark and out in the cold during our harsh Minnesota winters.

Contact My Office

I always encourage constituents to contact me with any questions or to offer their ideas. Please reach out by email at sen.torrey.westrom@senate.mn or by phone at 651-296-0556.

Sincerely,

Torrey