More rain, more problems … how much more money?

— UPDATED Feb. 28 with vote on solar gardens bill

How much is climate change costing us?

That’s what Rep. Fue Lee (DFL-Mpls) intends to ascertain. He sponsors HF3055 that would ask officials from the Department of Natural Resources to get together with other state agencies and assess the impact of climate change on state-owned assets and estimate the resultant capital funding needs.

Among those receiving the ensuing report would be the House Capital Investment Division, and that’s the bill’s destination after the House Energy and Climate Finance and Policy Division approved it Thursday.

Rep. Fue Lee

Lee spoke of the heavy precipitation and storm events that have been identified as a symptom of climate change.

“This past fall, as the House Capital Investment (Division) traveled over 3,000 miles across the state of Minnesota to tour and hear from Minnesotans in their hometowns about local infrastructure projects, one recurring theme was that of rising water,” Lee said. “Stretching from the Red River basin in the northwest to the Minnesota River in Mankato and Shakopee, there’s a need for capital investment, all totaling over $114 million in requests for flood mitigation and water-related projects.

“We need to have the DNR assess the impact of climate change on state-owned assets in order for us to understand the capital needs associated with this impact.”

Analysis from nonpartisan House Fiscal Analysis staff estimate the study would cost the state $399,000 in Fiscal Year 2021.

Speaking in support of the bill was Carrie Jennings, research and policy director for Freshwater Society, who spoke of multiple impacts of increased precipitation in the state, including increased landslides and damage to infrastructure from pressurized storm water. Also supporting the bill was Kate Knuth, climate policy advisor for the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.

“We know the numbers aren’t small; we just don’t know how big they are,” Knuth said. “I’ve previously worked as the chief resilience officer for the City of Minneapolis, and I’ve been thinking about the fiscal impacts of climate change for years. I looked pretty hard for good studies on the subject and have not found them. This would be a good first step in the state getting the information we need.”

Community solar gardens bill heads to House Ways and Means Committee

Rep. Jamie Long

Thursday evening, the division approved HF3368, a bill sponsored by Rep. Jamie Long (DFL-Mpls) that’s been replaced by a delete-all amendment and was further changed by an oral amendment that earmarks specific appropriations. Passed by an 8-5 party-line vote, the bill next goes to the House Ways and Means Committee. The bill would alter and expand the state’s community solar garden program, including creating a new “community access project” for residentially focused solar gardens.

During debate earlier Thursday, Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-Farmington) announced that he’d received a text from Sen. David Osmek (R-Mound) that he was planning to withdraw his companion bill, SF3299. Long said he planned to continue working with Osmek on a compromise.

Republican members proposed 17 amendments to the bill that dealt with such details as size and setback distances for solar gardens, but the underlying theme was that the program has grown too expensive for ratepayers. Twelve of the amendments were defeated, five withdrawn.

Rep. Chris Swedzinski (R-Ghent) and Rep. Dave Baker (R-Willmar) used analogies from the health care sector to voice their objections. “These are EBMs (energy benefit managers) who are getting rich, just like PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) did,” Baker said, speaking of those who profit from what he sees as inflated prices. Swedzinski added, “This is like insulin. You should take a stand against illegitimately expensive energy.”

Long asserted that prices will go down for subscribers as the program expands and the capacity of solar gardens increases.