Fresh Energy applauds Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency’s plans to be 80% carbon-free in 2030

Photo by Mulad via Wikimedia Commons

Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA) announced on February 5, 2020, its plan to reshape its generation portfolio through the retirement of the Sherco 3 coal-fired power plant in 2020 and replace it primarily with wind and solar generation.

MISO’s 50 GW Gap!

Utility planners must look deep into the future as they plan, finance, and build 50-year assets. And yet, the future is uncertain. Though demand for clean energy is increasing daily, transmission capacity, which is key to integrating renewable energy into the grid, is already at it’s limit. And further, there is no plan for adding new capacity in our region.