State’s greenhouse gas emissions are down, but not as much as hoped

In discussions of climate change, the chief culprit cited for its quickening pace is the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. Indeed, the term is derived from the idea that these gases trap heat in the atmosphere, creating something akin to the warmth inside a greenhouse.

One reason given for Minnesota’s transition to renewable energy sources is to move away from the emissions created by such fossil fuels as coal, oil and gas. Targets have been set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 15% by 2015, 30% by 2025, 50% by 2030, and the state to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Pollution Control Agency officials presented a report on the state of greenhouse gas emissions to the House Energy Finance and Policy Committee on Tuesday, and, while they’re still on a downward trend, the emissions aren’t meeting the statutory goals set out in 2007 and revised in 2023.

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“Between 2005 and 2023, Minnesota has seen about a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, with roughly 2 percentage points between 2022 and 2023,” said Kate Knuth, the Pollution Control Agency’s climate director.

Knuth noted that electricity generation used to be the state’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, but that they dropped by 50% between 2005 and 2023 with the move away from coal as an electricity source. It’s now the third-highest sector for emissions at 22% of the state’s total, trailing transportation at 30% and agriculture at 26%.

The report says that transportation emissions were down 9% over the same 18-year period, while industrial emissions are up 9%. Agriculture emissions are up 1%, driven by fertilizer and animal agriculture, but the largest jumps in emissions are from residential buildings (22%) and commercial buildings (15%).

And, in the category of land use, land-use change and forestry, emissions are down 25%, thanks primarily to existing forests and land converted to forest.

As for how to get back on track to meeting the state’s emissions goals, Rep. Dave Baker (R-Willmar) has a suggestion.

“We will never get there if we don’t have new nuclear as part of this conversation,” he said.

Rep. Larry Kraft (DFL-St. Louis Park) encouraged urgency in pursuing ways of lowering emissions, citing the effects Minnesotans are seeing from climate change, such as wildfires, floods and rising home insurance rates.