Could other exceptions include MN’s new carbon law/Public News Service

Minnesota is finalizing details before attempting to achieve a completely carbon-free electricity goal by 2040.

Some environmental advocates believe that turning over energy sources to regulators would defeat the purpose of the new law. The state Public Utilities Commission is seeking public comments through July 10 on which technologies should be included in the bill’s list of energy options. Utilities, advocacy organizations and others contribute.

Hudson Kingston, legal director of the group Clean Up the River Environment, was concerned that some recommendations he said were questionable would ultimately be adopted.

“Comments suggesting that burning wood, biomass and garbage is – in some people’s opinion – carbon-free, even though when you burn garbage or wood you emit quite a lot of carbon,” Kingston noted externally.

The Minnesota Forest Resources Partnership says burning tree limbs or wood left over from wildfires or disease restoration projects is a viable substitute for fossil fuel production. The group said it would also reduce the amount of harmful sulfur and mercury entering the air. Initial public comments will be accepted until June 28. The deadline for submitting responses is July 10.

Kingston noted that the focus on the definition has a lot to do with what is considered a renewable energy source versus green technology that emits no carbon dioxide at all.

“There was a policy decision made some time ago that burning certain things could be considered renewable,” Kingston explained. “But under the zero-emission standard, the Legislature has no list that would exclude incineration.”

Kingston believes the new law is clear because it is based only on proven zero-emission sources, even if regulators want transparency through public comments. In adopting the landmark policy last year, Minnesota leaders allowed other exceptions, namely “thresholds” for utilities struggling to meet standards if clean energy technologies are too costly or hinder grid reliability.

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Signature collectors in Washington state hope to get an initiative on the November ballot to undo the state’s attempt to phase out natural gas in buildings, and environmental groups worry about the impact the initiative will have.

The measure would ensure gas companies and utilities can continue to offer natural gas and would prohibit cities from prohibiting or discouraging the use of natural gas in buildings. The initiative is sponsored by the Building Industry Association of Washington.

Dylan Plummer, senior field organizing strategy specialist for the Sierra Club, said such a solution would be detrimental to the state and its climate goals.

“They hope to turn the clock back many years on the progress Washington state has made on climate action,” Plummer asserted. “In particular, electrification efforts, whether it’s local building codes like the one passed in Seattle or state building codes and other local efforts.”

Supporters say people should be able to choose natural gas. To qualify for the ballot, signature collectors must collect nearly 325,000 signatures by July 5.

Plummer argued that maintaining natural gas supplies would exacerbate the climate crisis and noted that the construction sector is a significant contributor to the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“In particular, the use of fossil fuels such as natural gas or methane for heating and water heating,” Plummer noted. “It is one of the largest sources of emissions in Washington state.”

Plummer added that if the initiative is adopted, it could have a negative impact on the state’s pursuit of clean energy.

“We are removing key subsidies and incentives that will drive the transformation to enable greater access to these really important technologies that will reduce energy burden, that will protect health and safety indoors and outdoors, and that will protect our climate.” Plummer presented.

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The New York state legislative session ended with climate bills being passed as a top priority.

Legislation like the Climate Superfund Act awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature. Other laws, such as the Act on renewable action by combining and implementing projects, were adopted together with the budget. The bill accelerates permitting for clean energy projects and interconnections with energy grids.

Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, said speeding up the process is beneficial to the state.

“Many of the proposed renewable energy projects have been held up due to a lack of capacity on nearby transmission lines to actually route electricity onto the grid so that New Yorkers can access it,” Wells explained. “There is no point in building a project that will not be able to deliver benefits to people.”

This comes after the state’s grid operator, the New York Independent System Operator, received a C-minus grade on its interconnection report card. The lowest marks were awarded for providing useful interconnection alternatives and interconnection process outcomes.

Wells noted that the introduction of this measure is based on the Public Renewable Sources Construction Act adopted in the 2023 state budget.

Other barriers, such as the numerous processes that projects undergo before being connected to the network, can make them more difficult. A report from the New York State Comptroller shows that application delays are holding up permits for renewable energy projects for more than three years.

Despite the challenges, Wells is confident that New York can meet its 2030 climate goals.

“There is no shortage of projects to help achieve this goal,” Wells noted. “The trick is that I don’t think any new regulations are needed or major changes to the structure are necessary. I think we just need to improve what we have and get into a rhythm for these projects to be implemented.”

One predictable challenge is gathering enough skilled workers to complete projects. Union leaders in the state are eager to work on them, with a ready workforce to do so. The 2022 nationwide report showed that failure to accelerate transmission results in an increase in greenhouse gas emissions by 800 million tons per year.

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Oil and gas industry workers are carefully monitoring the supply and demand for liquefied natural gas, or LNG. Texas is one of the nation’s largest producers of LNG, and a report by the nonprofit Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis shows that while there is a surplus of fuel, demand for the product is declining.

Sam Reynolds, research director at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis and co-author of the report, said it could have an adverse impact on current and future operations in the Lone Star State.

“There are currently five LNG projects under construction, mainly in Texas and Louisiana. We have the Golden Pass LNG facility, the Rio Grande LNG facility, Port Author in Texas, as well as the Corpus Christi LNG facility,” he explained.

Texas’ oil and gas industry pumps more than $26 million in state and local taxes into the state’s economy.

Due to declining demand for liquefied natural gas, the Biden administration has paused new LNG export projects that are not yet under construction to assess the impact on the international market. Reynolds said fuel demand began to decline after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

“LNG prices around the world have skyrocketed. LNG has become one of the most expensive fuels available,” he continued. “As a result, countries in Europe and Northeast Asia have really stepped up or accelerated efforts to reduce their dependence on LNG.”

The United States opened its first LNG export terminal in 2016 and is now the world’s largest supplier of the fuel, behind Qatar and Australia.

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