Earlier today, Governor Tim Walz signed the “State Competitiveness Fund” bill (HF1656/SF1622), into law, establishing a dedicated fund of $115 million to ensure the state of Minnesota can take full advantage of the unprecedented federal investments for energy infrastructure in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
“The time is now to fully commit to transitioning our infrastructure and built environment to one that is healthy, efficient, and benefits everyone,” said Anjali Bains, Lead Director of Energy Access and Equity at Fresh Energy. “Thanks to this legislation, Minnesota can now unlock the full potential of recent federal investments and make sure that funding is accessible and available as we will build our equitable clean energy future.”
Fresh Energy applauds the Minnesota Legislature, Governor Tim Walz, and the Minnesota Department of Commerce for prioritizing these investments. Each dollar the state puts toward these programs will return many times more in Federal funding to Minnesota and our energy infrastructure via grants that include upgrading the electrical grid, training the next generation of clean energy workers, local community grants, and more.
