By Marya Hart
Campaign teams advocate for legislative change on environmental issues.
Clean Energy
Some call Xcel Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) the “Super Bowl of IRPs.” Although the plan will involve switching to renewable energy by 2050, it includes components that the Clean Energy team is concerned with. The outstanding concerns are construction of a new gas-fired plant and extended use of a nuclear-power facility.
Sierra Club graded the plan on a number of criteria. Positive areas were a path to renewable energy, retiring coal, and transportation electrification. However, the team is concerned with Xcel’s plans to continue to use gas-fired plants, and the IRP’s lack of equitable access or support for energy independence, such as community solar gardens.
The team hopes to have 10,000 comments on the plan by its deadline, which has now been extended to March 15. We have four thousand to go.
Land Use and Transportation
No tricks this October. The LUT team were treated to many new faces at their latest Zoom meeting. Katie Roth and Robin Caufman from Metro Transit joined the meeting to talk about Network Next, a plan to expand the bus network, increase frequency, and add new corridors for arterial bus rapid transit. The conversation was engaging and full of inquiry, expanding beyond corridor discussions to topics such as shelters at stops, development along transit lines, and reducing pollution along bus routes.
The team continues to push Governor Walz to adopt clean car standards for Minnesota. The Rethinking I-94 effort continues to add more community groups in favor of halting lane expansions and adding green, accessible infrastructure along the I-94 corridor. Voting for climate champions down the ballot will make our transit and sustainable transportation goals a reality.
Stop Line Three
We are entering a critical moment in our fight to Stop Line 3. In mid-November, the Pollution Control Agency (PCA) Commissioner will be making a final decision on Enbridge’s water crossing permits; we anticipate if granted this permit Enbridge will begin construction. The PCA Commissioner needs to hear from Minnesotans who oppose Line 3.