Friends and neighbors,
On Monday, the Senate passed an energy budget proposal on a mostly party-line vote. I voted no.
This bill passed the energy committee with strong bipartisan support. Unfortunately, Democrat leadership stripped it down before it came up for a vote of the full senate, and turned it into a proposal that expands bureaucracy, ignores rising bills, and pushes unreliable energy sources with no backup plan. This bill makes electricity even more expensive and less dependable at a time when families are already stretched thin.
Here are some highlights of what is in the bill:
- More funding and new staff for bloated state energy agencies (even though we are facing a $6 billion budget deficit)
- No requirement for wind or solar companies to set aside money to clean up after themselves
- No support for nuclear power or hydropower, which are the most reliable carbon-free sources we have
- A continued push toward unreliable electricity that fails when we need it most, like during cold snaps
Republicans offered several amendments to improve the bill and protect Minnesotans from blackouts and rising costs. We pushed to lift the outdated ban on nuclear power, remove the cap on hydro, and modernize solar rules that unfairly shift costs to the rest of us. I also supported a provision to require cleanup funds for wind and solar developments, based on real examples of farmers left with concrete ruins in their fields when turbines fail. Every one of these ideas was rejected.
36% of Minnesotans can barely afford their electric bills. Meanwhile, green energy corporations and well-connected developers are cashing in, while ratepayers get stuck with the mess.
Their agenda is not based on science. It is just a taxpayer-funded racket.
We are heading toward an energy crisis that will hit low-income people and seniors especially hard. We need affordable, reliable energy that is rooted in common sense. We cannot continue the Green New Scam any longer.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. God Bless,
Senator Glenn Gruenhagen
