ST. PAUL – A bill forcing Minnesota’s electric utilities to generate or acquire 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2040 has been approved in the Minnesota House.
Called the “blackout bill” by many around the State Capitol, State Representative Steve Jacob (R-Altura) said he fears the state’s complete elimination of reliable energy sources – such as coal – will inevitably lead to the rolling blackouts seen in California.
“I’ve always supported alternative energy, but only when it is piggybacking on a grid bolstered by conventional energy,” Jacob said. “Where does the money come from to support this massive grid if the conventional energy isn’t there, and what happens to our most vulnerable residents when we have a blackout in the middle of winter?
A report from the Center of the American Experiment (CAE) estimates that the Walz/Democrat plan to move to 100 percent carbon free electricity by 2040 will cost $313 billion, or nearly $3,900 per family per year. The potential gain according to CAE: averting 0.00096 degree Celsius of warming by the year 2100.
Jacob said the type of radical policies Minnesota House Democrats are pushing already are causing havoc elsewhere, including Germany rationing electricity as electric vehicles and heat pumps threaten the collapse of local power grids.
“Area energy companies have told me that the contracts they hold to keep rates low are in place until the year 2064,” Jacob said. “With this mandate, how do they honor their contracts? This proposal truly is not feasible by the year 2040, and its not acceptable for hardworking families who will spend thousands of dollars more each year because House Democrats are not using common sense.”
The bill now heads to the Minnesota Senate for further debate.