On Thursday, January 26, 2023, the Minnesota House of Representatives made history by passing the 100% clean electricity bill, House File 7. The bill, authored by House Majority Leader Jamie Long (61B) with 34 co-authors, would commit all utilities to provide Minnesota customers with 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040, with reporting on benchmarks every five years.
“The time has come for 100% clean electricity. The climate science demands this, the economy demands this, the opportunities demand this,” said Michael Noble, executive director of Fresh Energy. “On behalf of Fresh Energy and climate advocates around the state, we are thankful for the collective action of 70 future-focused members of the Minnesota House who voted in favor of the bill.”
The bill’s next stop is the Minnesota Senate and if passed, the 100% bill will be crucial in helping build an equitable, clean energy future in Minnesota and protect our natural resources, grow family-supporting jobs, lower our energy costs, clean up our air, and provide clean, reliable electricity.
Thank you to the House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee, chaired by Representative Patty Acomb (45B), for hearing the bill and passing it out of committee on January 18, 2023.