tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15306282.post1189458399605635654..comments2023-11-03T02:18:41.733-07:00Comments on WattHead - Energy News and Commentary: Minnesota Renewable Energy Standard Signed Into LawJesse Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00297127385884430247noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15306282.post-33072896408978738852008-03-07T11:55:00.000-08:002008-03-07T11:55:00.000-08:00Hi there! Just found your site today, very intere...Hi there! Just found your site today, very interesting. I'm working with a non-profit (www.earthaction.org) right now that has a curent campaign on renewable energy. I know that Minnesota also just introduced HF 3537, to call for a system based of Germany's successful model of feed-in tarrifs. I'm excited to see how this model can possibly be implemented in the states. (For more information, you can go to our site and click on current campaign.) Thanks for the interesting read.<BR/><BR/>-Becca Olstad<BR/>www.earthaction.orgAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15306282.post-49171769548427492302007-03-15T21:04:00.000-07:002007-03-15T21:04:00.000-07:00Watch us work in MN! Now that we have the Renewabl...Watch us work in MN! Now that we have the Renewable Energy Standards, we are working in the legislature to pass other measures to make the standards possible and economically successful for the state, especially the Global Warming Mitigation Act, which is working onto the floor of both the House and Senate despite misinformation and coal campaigns!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15306282.post-24438249454743720662007-03-11T21:45:00.000-07:002007-03-11T21:45:00.000-07:00Michael,Thanks for the great insight into the proc...Michael,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the great insight into the process in Minnesota. I just started following the progress of the RES this year, and have little insight into it's history. <BR/><BR/>Sounds like things really shaped up quite ideally in MN for the RES this year! My congratulations on being able to build such an effective and broad coalition of supporters. We are working on the same kind of coalition building here in Oregon and things are shaping up quite nicely as we progress. The results in MN are encouraging, and I hope we can put together all the ingredients here for not just passage of the Oregon RES, but broad support! <BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/><BR/>Jesse Jenkins<BR/>http://watthead.blogspot.comJesse Jenkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00297127385884430247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15306282.post-25563357827419150972007-03-11T21:14:00.000-07:002007-03-11T21:14:00.000-07:00Hello WattHead,Thought I'd wade in the it was not ...Hello WattHead,<BR/><BR/>Thought I'd wade in the it was not the flexibility mechanism that made the difference in the MN RES, but it enabled us to get near unanimous support. Its insider baseball why we needed to add it--key committee chair was the factor.<BR/><BR/>The flexibility mechanisms in the Minnesota Renewable Energy Standard were reasonable. There is a heavy burden on the utility if it applies for a delayed implementation, and it would not be agreed upon lightly. Most utilities expressed strong confidence that they would never apply for a delay, but the ramp-up rates in years 2012 and 2016 were aggessive---combining Xcel's rate and the others means that MN will have 21% by 2016, and 25% by 2020, and the utilities just want the comfort that if things are beyond their control, there is 'some place to go.'<BR/><BR/>As for it "flying through" in 2007, readers should know that in 2006 we won in the democratic senate by a vote, and then 2 switched at the buzzer, giving a 36-30 win. There was not even a hearing in the Republican House on RES from 2001 to 2006. Many candidates ran for office on passage of the RES and with 19 freshman democrats in the House, and the governor changing his position in a wonderfully nuanced way---last year, he was for an "objective" not a standard, and this year he was for an "objective" with financial penalties for non-compliance, saying 'theres no difference between my objective now and the Senate standard', opponents had no refuge.<BR/><BR/>The election and public opinion polls showing 90% support, and two third 'strong support' also helped do the trick. In the end, the IBEW, the Steelworkers, the Farmers Union, the faith community, serious business leaders not from EE/RE sector joined the usual suspects----it was quite a coalition.<BR/><BR/>Hail Senator Ellen Anderson and Representative Aaron Peterson, chief authors.<BR/><BR/>Michael Noble, Fresh Energy, executive director and Clean Energy Minnesota Steering Committee MemberAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com