In this report, we document the true cost of Minnesota’s oil addiction. We also provide solutions to solve the energy crisis in our state.
Minnesota is at a crossroads. We can continue to send billions of dollars out of our local economy each year or create clean energy jobs that strengthen our economy right here at home.
Oil use in Minnesota:
-
80% of Minnesota’s oil is Canadian tar sands oil, the dirtiest oil in the world. The extraction of tar sands oil generates three times more carbon emissions than traditional oil production.
-
Minnesota doesn’t have its own oil reserves or means to produce crude oil. We import every single drop of oil we consume.
An increase of fuel efficiency standards to 54.5 mpg would:
-
Save Minnesotans more than $3,500 at the pump over the life of an average vehicle, even after paying for new technology.
-
Reduce national oil consumption by 1.5 million barrels per day in 2030—the same amount we imported from Saudi Arabia and Iraq combined in 2010.
-
Keep 280 million metric tons of carbon pollution out of the air in 2030, equivalent to shutting down 72 coal-fired power plants for a year.
-
Have the potential to create up to 14,000 jobs in Minnesota.