MN Legislators: Oppose climate rollbacks in omnibus bills

Defend historic climate and transportation victories, oppose rollbacks in Energy and Transportation Omnibus

I applauded the historic climate victories passed by the Minnesota legislature in 2023. However, these victories are under attack with rollbacks proposed in current omnibus bills. With Federal climate action threatened by the Trump administration it is more important than ever to defend our past progress. I urge you to oppose and remove the bad provisions listed below: The Senate Energy Omnibus Bill (SF2393) includes provisions that would: * Bypass Environmental Review for Data Centers. Hyperscale data centers present real risks including air pollution, water pollution and water depletion. SF2393 would exempt diesel engines from Certificate of Need proceedings. It would also allow businesses to utilize the AUAR process to circumvent typical environmental review. * Repeal Community Solar Gardens - SF2393 would repeal this successful program just two years after a broadly-negotiated set of changes. At a time when the federal government is attacking the solar industry, maintaining Minnesota's commitment to effective and equitable solar programs is steadying. * Weaken the 100% “Carbon Free” Law - Legislators passed a “carbon free” law with a clear definition. The polluting industries who lost at the legislature in 2023 are now seeking to just define their preferred products as “carbon free” even though they emit carbon. SF2393 does that for B100, which emits carbon and other pollutants. * Roll back net metering - Minnesota’s long-standing net metering program is one way we can continue to support the deployment of rooftop solar across our state, regardless of which utility supplies a homeowner’s power. SF 2393, which applies to rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities, would severely weaken this program by reducing the payments to homeowners with rooftop solar who share excess electricity generated by their panels back to the grid. The House Transportation Omnibus Bill (HF2438) reportedly includes a three and a half year delay -- moving implementation from Feb 1, 2025 to Aug 1, 2028 -- of the Greenhouse Gas and Vehicle Miles Travelled reduction targets, otherwise known as the “Climate Impact of Highways” Law. This law remains essential to Minnesota’s work to do our part to address our emissions. Transportation remains is the #1 Source of climate emissions and we cannot address our emissions with electrification alone. The proposed delay would ignore for three and a half more years the climate crisis which we had already ignored for decades. It is unnecessary and harmful. I urge you to vote “no” on the Senate Energy and House Transportation Omnibus Bills, unless these provisions are removed. Thank you for your consideration.