5.9.12 // Minnesota coal-fired power plant may be on the chopping block Fargo’s WDAY news picked up an AP story first featured in the Pioneer Press about coal-fired power plants that face retirement.Michael Noble was quoted in the article.

5.5.12 // The end of the line for Minnesota’s coal plants? Utilities are facing decisions about what to do with their oldest and dirtiest coal-fired power plants in the face of coming environmental regulations and concerns about greenhouse gases associated with climate change. Michael Noble was quoted in this Pioneer Press article about the possible transition to natural gas.

5.1.12 // Commentary Fresh Energy and J. Drake Hamilton were highlighted in a Duluth News Tribune commentary about a forum to discuss the future of Minnesota Power-owned coal plants at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

4.22.12 // This Earth Day, imagine a new energy economy Michael Noble write an Earth Day post for Minnpost. “What Earth Day needs is a credible narrative that the world can change the old energy economy for a better one that solves our world’s most pressing economic and security challenges — and is good for the environment to boot,” he said.

4.11.12 // Minnesota Power looks to the future of renewable energy J. Drake Hamilton was quoted in a story about a clean energy forum in Duluth with Minnesota Power. “Right now we’re shipping money out of the state to buy coal from other states, bringing it in by train and we’re trying to think of a transition that will work better for Minnesota,” Hamilton said.

4.6.12 // Almanac North J. Drake Hamilton was a guest on Almanac North in April to talk about Minnesota’s energy future.

4.3.12 // BLOG: J. Drake Hamilton plans discussion on state’s clean energy future The Bemidji Pioneer highlighted the upcoming April 9 clean energy forum featuring J. Drake Hamilton.

4.3.12 // UMD forum focuses on future of coal-fired electricity The Duluth News Tribune highlighted the upcoming clean energy forum in Duluth featuring J. Drake Hamilton and Minnesota Power.

2.27.12 // Natural gas: A cleaner source of energy for Minnesota’s future J. Drake Hamilton was interviewed in this Public News Service story about natural gas. “We get almost 60 percent of our electricity from burning coal, and when we replace that with natural gas, we cut the mercury emissions to zero and the carbon pollution by 50 percent. It’s a much better, much cleaner fuel.”

1.30.12 // Dayton Blasts GOP Lawmakers for Refusing Commissioner Michael Noble was quoted in a FOX9 news segment about Ellen Anderson and the Senate’s vote to remove her from her position as PUC chair. “Anderson has managed the commission’s business with professionalism and efficiency, and her long tenure on key legislative committees offers the state an unusually deep understanding of energy and consumer issues,” Noble said.

1.30.12 // Dayton blasts GOP senators as ‘unfit to govern’ Michael Noble was quoted in this Star Tribune piece about the Minnesota Senate’s firing of PUC chair Ellen Anderson. “I think that the politics of clean energy is not bipartisan the way it used to be,” said Noble, who interpreted Monday’s vote as a sign of strength by coal and oil interests who “don’t like the state’s energy policy.”

1.22.12 // Reader’s view: Minnesotans need to work for clean, healthy energy future J. Drake Hamilton wrote a letter to the editor of the Duluth News Tribune that urged Minnesotans to talk about the best ways to move the state to a cleaner, cheaper, more efficiency energy future.

12.22.11 // EPA announces landmark mercury standards for power plants J. Drake Hamilton was interviewed for a Public News Service story about the EPA’s historic issuance of the nation’s first-ever nationwide standards for mercury and toxic air pollution.

12.10.11 // Faith community is joining the climate discussion J. Drake Hamilton was quoted in this Grand Rapids Herald-Review article about her talk with Will Steger and Minnesota’s renewable energy potential. “That is part of the success story of what we’re talking about this evening,” said Hamilton. “Why has Minnesota been able to build so much wind power into its system in a very short period of time? One of the reasons is that many, many Minnesotans demanded it.”

12.7.11 // Arctic Explorer Steger Treks through MN to Talk Climate Change Public News Service interviewed Will Steger and J. Drake Hamilton in advance of their speaking engagements in Princeton and Grand Rapids, Minnesota on December 7 and 8.

11.28.11 // Minn. utilities don’t want more coal power from ND Minnesota Public Radio interviewed J. Drake Hamilton for a story about North Dakota’s push to sell coal power to Minnesota. Hamilton said North Dakota has better energy options than coal and should focus on them instead.

11.21.11 // Minnesota Power looks at less coal The Duluth News Tribune interviewed J. Drake Hamilton about the PUC’s request that Minnesota Power re-figure its future energy demand and generation. “This isn’t about shutting down coal plants and not replacing them with anything,’’ Hamilton said. “It’s about keeping the lights on and the hospitals running, but doing it a reasonable price, doing it as you create jobs in Minnesota and making Minnesota air a little cleaner.”

11.14.11 // ‘Revenge of the Electric Car’ screening tonight in Minneapolis The Pioneer Press wrote a story on our special film screening with the film’s director.

11.13.11 // Minnesota philanthropy magazine MNSIGHTS highlighted Philanthropedia’s list of 18 high-impact Minnesota environmental nonprofits, an impressive list that includes Fresh Energy at  number 4.

11.13.11 // Fresh Energy was listed as one of the top 18 high-impact nonprofits that protect Minnesota’s environment in the New York Times Magazine.

11.3.11 // Fresh Energy: #4 Expert-Identified Environmental Nonprofit in Minnesota Fresh Energy placed fourth on Philanthropedia’s list of the highest-impact environmental nonprofits in Minnesota.

11.2.11 // Discussion On Clean Air Scheduled In Rochester KAAL-TV highlighted a forum on clean air in Rochester that featured J. Drake Hamilton.

10.21.11 // Poll: The EPA, Not Congress Should Determine Air Pollution Standards J. Drake Hamilton was featured in this story about a new poll that found that 75 percent of voters believe the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should be in charge of regulating air pollution, not Congress.

10.13.11 // More small-scale, local clean energy in Minnesota? Twin Cities Daily Planet picked up a piece from Powering Progress on distributed generation (a system of small, local energy-generation projects—like small wind turbines or solar panels— instead of one big power plant).

9.7.11 // Compact fluorescents not the only light of the future Midwest Energy News’s Ken Paulman wrote a piece for Miller-McCune about the supposed light bulb “ban.” “There’s a legitimate discussion to be had about the effectiveness of light bulb efficiency standards and the potential for undesired consequences. But it’s also important to have a little perspective,” he said.

8.11.11 // Different times call for different St. Croix bridge Transportation policy director Ethan Fawley wrote a commentary on the St. Croix bridge that was published in the Star Tribune. “Regardless of the final solution, the bridge decision cannot be made based on what the world was like in 2003,” said Ethan.

8.9.11 // City Council is considering new plans to make Northfield roads ‘complete’ Fresh Energy was mentioned in this Northfield News article about Northfield’s work toward implementing Complete Streets.

7.29.11 // Obama, automakers agree to double fuel efficiency FOX9 news interviewed transportation director Ethan Fawley for a story about new fuel efficiency standards. “It’s certainly a huge day for everyone,” said Fawley.

7.13.11 // Light bulb rhetoric becomes overheated as Congress rejects repeal Fresh Energy’s Ken Paulman was quoted in an article about the so-called “light bulb wars” on Poynter.org: “The language that’s been used by the politicians finds its way into the coverage, because people don’t go back and actually look at what the law does,” said Paulman. “There’s no language in there that says you can’t buy an incandescent bulb,” Paulman said. “A narrative emerged that simply wasn’t true.”

7.7.11 // Cleaning messes On July 7, the EPA finalized the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, to reduce harmful emissions from coal-fired power plants. Fresh Energy’s J. Drake Hamilton applauded the long overdue rule, which falls under the “Good Neighbor” provision of the Clean Air Act. It will help 28 states in the eastern half of the United States reduce air pollution from outside their borders by leveling the playing field among power plant emitters.

6.28.11 // Complete Streets: Sharing the Road Transportation policy director Ethan Fawley was quoted in this Hopkins Patch story about the city of Hopkins’s pursuit of complete streets. “Complete Streets means that our streets are planned to be safe and accessible for pedestrians, transit riders, bicyclists and drivers. It is for all users, regardless of age or ability,” said Fawley.

6.3.11 // Clean air advocates predict more respiratory issues if ozone standards not lowered Science policy director J. Drake Hamilton was quoted in this MPR story about increased respiratory problems due to coal-fired power and the need for the federal government to toughen ozone standards.

6.1.11 // Minnesota attorney general says poor, elderly suffer under CenterPoint’s pricing policy Clean energy director Linda Taylor provided information for a story about CenterPoint’s inverted block rate pricing, a program designed to encourage energy efficiency that has come under attack by the attorney general. Other states, including New York, have used inverted block rates for years and structure the rates so they don’t hurt the poor or elderly, said Taylor.

5.30.11 // Business people Fresh Energy’s current and newly-elected board of directors were listed in the Star Tribune’s business section.

5.29.11 // Minnesota above average in pedestrian safety; rural areas deadlier Ethan Fawley was quoted in this Alexandria Echo Press article about a new report released by Transportation for America that highlighted the need for investment in pedestrian safety. “Mn/DOT and seventeen local Minnesota communities have already stepped up with Complete Streets policies to make their roads safer for everyone, including pedestrians. But there is still much work to be done to improve safety for people walking and we need the federal government as a strong leader and partner for that effort,” said Fawley.

5.18.11 // Xcel Energy CEO Richard Kelly to retire “I tip my hat to Dick Kelly for bringing Xcel into the 21st century,” said Executive Director Michael Noble in this Pioneer Press article about the retirement of Xcel Energy’s CEO.

5.16.11 // New report outlines seven tools for improving transportation system “Minnesota has long strived to be a leader in transportation,” said Transportation Policy Director Ethan Fawley in this Alexandria Echo Press article. ”But we still need to do more, including more bus rapid transit, better coordinated planning, and better local street connectivity.”

5.11.11 // House passes bill to allow coal-generated electricity purchases Executive Director Michael Noble was quoted in a Politics in Minnesota article about the passage of the coal rollbacks bill in the Minnesota House. “It’s now up to Governor Dayton to veto this bill and continue our transition away from expensive, dirty fuels of the past and toward cleaner energy for Minnesota families and businesses.”

5.10.11 // Solar energy not as bright in Minnesota Clean Energy Director Linda Taylor was quoted in a Finance & Commerce article about the shortcomings in Minnesota’s solar energy incentive program.

5.30.11 // Light bulb wars and the MOA parking ramp Senior Policy Associate Kate Ellis served as a source for a post on MPR’s The Cities about the Mall of America’s new LED parking ramp lights.

4.20.11 // Study claims energy mandates will cost state billions Executive Director Michael Noble was quoted in a Finance & Commerce article about Minnesota’s renewable energy standard and the Minnesota Free Market Institute’s assertion that the standard drives up energy costs. Michael said the Institute does ” a very poor job of understanding our electrical system.”

4.19.11 // On energy and the environment, Michael Noble keeps politicians honest Don Shelby profiled Executive Director Michael Noble for a piece in MinnPost, and along with its critique of the Minnesota Senate’s vote to unravel part of the Next Generation Energy Act, the article included high praise for Noble. Shelby said he “knows more about energy, global warming, state law and the environment than any of our elected officials.”

4.15.11 // Minnesota Senate lifts curbs on new coal-fired power plants “We’re moving in the wrong direction” said Executive Director Michael Noble in response to the Minnesota Senate’s approval of a law that frees utilities from offsetting emissions from new coal. “We’re rolling back part of the foundation of our energy policy.”

4.15.11 // Minnesota Senate votes to lift coal plant restrictions Executive Director Michael Noble was quoted in an Associated Press piece that was picked up by the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, the Bismarck Tribune, CBS moneywatch.com, and businessweek.com. “It doesn’t make sense to encourage more dirty energy while we accelerate smart investment in clean energy,” said Michael.

3.19.11 // Report finds air pollution harms Minnesota fish & wildlife Science Policy Director J. Drake Hamilton was quoted in this Review Messenger article about a National Wildlife Federation report that found a number of wildlife species important to Minnesota’s hunters and anglers are being harmed by toxic air pollution and climate change. “Congress needs to update safeguards in the Clean Air Act, to cut down on the enormous health costs caused by air pollution.”

5.30.11 // Minnesota legislators receive coal lump for efforts to roll back pollution standards The Uptake covered a press conference held by concerned legislators and environmental allies (including Fresh Energy executive director Michael Noble) to bring attention to the damaging effects of HF72 and SF86, bills that would roll back an important piece of Minnesota’s clean energy policy and allow new coal pollution in the state.

5.30.11 // Before he cuts funds to global warming research, state senator should check his science (3/7/11) – Executive Director Michael Noble writes a commentary for MPR news about how the chairman of the Minnesota Senate Environment Committee thinks global warming is a “farce” and the multitude of scientific societies that disagree.

3.2.11 // Readers write for Wednesday, March 2: Tar sands and pipeline safety Executive Director Michael Noble and Marty Cobenais, pipeline organizer for the Indigenous Environmental Network, discuss tar sands and pipeline safety in this letter to the editor published in the Star Tribune.

2.7.11 // Woodbury retail center goes solar Clean Energy Director Linda Taylor was quoted in a Pioneer Press article about a new solar project in Woodbury, and what will be the largest solar project on any shopping center in the Upper Midwest. “Every big-box retailer and most shopping centers are prime spots,” she said.

1.25.11 // Minn. Republicans hope to undo clean energy policies Clean Energy Director Linda Taylor was quoted in a story about a number of repeals the Minnesota legislature is considering. “The whole system is moving beyond this almost silly discussion we’re having in Minnesota about whether or not we’re going to build nuclear power plants or coal power plants,” Taylor said. “We’re kind of behind the times I think on these things.”

1.24.11 // Izaak Walton League official tapped to head state energy division Executive Director Michael Noble comments on the appointment of Bill Grant as head of the Office of Energy Security. “Nobody knows Minnesota’s energy policy like Bill Grant,” said Michael.