Minnesota law (the Next Generation Energy Act passed in 2007 and signed by Governor Pawlenty) requires carbon dioxide reduction offsets for all new large energy facilities that burn coal. The Next Generation Energy Act establishes greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals for the state. In keeping with the intent to reduce emissions economy-wide, the law also requires that a company proposing a new coal-fired power plant, for example, must obtain Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approval for a carbon dioxide reduction project to offset the increased greenhouse gas emissions from the power plant.  The electric utility Great River Energy (GRE), is building the coal-fired Spiritwood Station facility in North Dakota and intends to import some that power to supply into Minnesota to serve customers here. The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, working with Fresh Energy and the Izaak Walton League of America-Midwest Office, submitted joint comments on February 1 to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on legal issues in GRE's intended import of electricity to Minnesota from their Spiritwood, North Dakota coal-fired power plant.

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