Minnesota’s Renewable Electricity Standard faces a new threat this legislative session. A bill introduced on Monday would allow utilities to meet the standard with large scale hydropower imported from Manitoba, North Dakota, and Montana.

Republican Congressman Steve King is the latest in a growing list of bipartisan governors, federal policymakers, and Fortune 500 companies calling for an expedient renewal of a key provision for wind power, the Production Tax Credit, a tax-lowering provision applied to wind power production.

Energy stories in the news this week covered everything from wind and electric vehicle tax credits to the huge number of advance orders for the new Tesla.

Minnesota has benefited from a strong, forward-looking foundation of clean energy policy for the last 20 years. But some of these commonsense policies are under attack at the Legislature.

In January, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Gamesa Technology Corporation, Inc. announced a public-private partnership to develop advanced wind technologies. Gamesa is a world leader in the design, manufacture, installation, and maintenance of wind turbines.

The way you make electricity, Fresh Energy executive director Michael Noble once said, is “not very complicated. You just need to spin a turbine.”

2.20.12 // You’re invited to have coffee with Representative Betty McCollum and talk about clean energy solutions.

This morning, I asked my friends and followers on Facebook to sign onto 350.org’s petition urging our senators to reject the Keystone XL pipeline. Will you take action to stop Keystone XL?

While the term “offshore wind” might evoke images of an ocean coastline for many, a new report shows that the Great Lakes also have a lot of offshore wind potential.

Tell your U.S. senators to block any provision for approving the Keystone XL pipeline.