Just a day before Swedish teen Greta Thunberg was named Time's Person of the Year for her climate activism, a group of Minnesota's DFL Senators held a press conference announcing the formation of its statewide Senate DFL Clean Energy and Climate Caucus.
We're not quite sure what to think of Senate Minority Leader Bakk's membership in this group. We're not alone.
At MinnPost, Walker Orenstein reports in DFL state senators just formed a ‘climate caucus.’ Will they be able to agree on anything?:
Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk said Tuesday that his fellow DFLers in the Legislature would try to crack the Republican blockade on much of Gov. Tim Walz’s climate change agenda next year by forming a united front in a “Clean Energy and Climate Caucus.”
At a news conference in the Capitol, Bakk called for hearings on Walz’s plan to require a carbon-free energy grid by 2050 and said Democrats would try to bridge divides on environmental issues between lawmakers from the Twin Cities metro and outside of it.
But that could be a tall task for Bakk, who the Star Tribune reported is facing a challenge for his leadership post by Woodbury Sen. Susan Kent. Liberals from the metro area have long chafed at some of Bakk’s positions on energy and mining policy while more conservative DFLers and trade unions have typically aligned with the Cook Democrat. . . .
While promoting Walz’s 2050 legislation was billed as the climate group’s top priority, Senate DFLers don’t appear to unanimously support it, only a plan to work on it.
Bakk said he hadn’t read the measure, which was introduced in March. But he said the bill, like most, would change as it moves through the Legislature based on input from lawmakers and others. “I do think that the governor’s bold vision here, when it results in a piece of legislation that gets to his desk, there will be bipartisan support for it,” Bakk said.
Jessica Looman, executive director of the building trades council, said Walz’s legislation was a “really great foundation” but needed changes, such as “strengthen the understanding that nuclear is part of a carbon free energy future.” Walz’s original bill would not lift a moratorium on new nuclear projects and does not classify existing nuclear power plants as a “carbon-free resource.”
But while lawmakers pledged to sort out those differences, they remain split on other climate change issues. Bakk supports the $2.6 billion Line 3 project, which would build a 337-mile oil pipeline to replace an aging and corroding one that is currently running at half capacity.
The PUC has repeatedly said the line is necessary, but environmental groups and some DFLers argue that new long-term infrastructure for fossil fuels will exacerbate climate change in a time of crisis and risk spills.
Read the entire article at MinnPost. Good stuff.
Bluestem is also curious how Bakk's appreciation of pro-coal marketing efforts funded by the North Dakota Industrial Commission (a state agency) will shape his involvement on the “Clean Energy and Climate Caucus.”
But first, a visit back to 2007--when Minnesota adopted renewable energy standards and the Next Generation Energy Act.
Bakk and the Next Generation Energy Act
In May 2007, Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty signed the Next Generation Energy Act. A press release from the Governor's Office, now archived at the Legislative Reference Library, outlines the act, along with several related bills:
. . . Following the framework developed early in the legislative session with the passage of the nation’s most aggressive Renewable Energy Standard, the Next Generation Energy Act establishes nation-leading requirements on Minnesota’s electric utilities while ensuring reliability and protecting the cost-competitiveness of Minnesota’s electric system.
The legislation received overwhelming bipartisan support and was co-authored by Rep. Bill Hilty and Senator Yvonne Prettner Solon.
The Next Generation Energy Act includes:
- Energy Savings Goals The Demand Efficiency Initiative builds on Minnesota’s existing conservation program, consistently ranked in the top five programs in the country. It will effectively double the amount of energy saved by Minnesota’s utilities by transitioning Minnesota from energy efficiency spending goals to energy efficiency savings goals. The bill also sets a goal of 1,000 Energy Star Buildings in Minnesota by 2010 and provides adequate funding to achieve the goal.
- Community Based Energy Development The Next Generation Energy Act expands and strengthens Minnesota’s commitment to the development of locally-owned renewable energy projects. Previous legislation also increases funding for community energy outreach through Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTS) throughout the state.
- Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction According to the National Conference of State Legislators, the Next Generation Energy Act propels Minnesota into the top two states (with California) leading the way towards reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The bill establishes statewide GHG reduction goals of 15 percent by 2015, 30 percent by 2025, and 80 percent by 2050. The bill also endorses the Governor’s Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group as the entity to develop a comprehensive greenhouse gas emission reduction plan to meet those goals (www.mnclimatechange.us).
Earlier this year, the Governor signed legislation containing the first components of his Next Generation Energy Initiative:
- 25x’25 Renewable Electricity Requirements The nation’s most aggressive Renewable Energy Standard requires Minnesota’s electric utilities to provide 25% renewable electricity by 2025.
- Next Generation BioEnergy and BioFuels Governor Pawlenty signed legislation to appropriate over $35 million for energy projects and research including:
- $15 million for bioenergy, biomass electricity, biofuels, plug-in hybrid technologies, renewable hydrogen and solar technology projects.
- $17 million for energy research, including funding for the U of M Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment.
- $3 million to double the number of E85 stations in Minnesota from the nation-leading 300 stations to 600 stations.
In addition, the NextGen Energy Board is established and will begin meeting next month to develop bioenergy and biofuels policies and recommendations.
“The Next Generation Energy Initiative is providing the pathway to a better energy future,” Governor Pawlenty said. “Minnesota is the leader in energy policy that benefits the environment, rural economies, national security and consumers.”
Governor Walz' December 2 press release, Governor Walz Establishes Climate Change Subcabinet, references this legislation:
The state’s 2007 Next Generation Energy Act set statutory goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but Minnesota has fallen short of reaching these goals. The Subcabinet will be tasked with identifying policies and strategies that will put Minnesota back on track to meet or exceed the goals, identify challenges and opportunities to mitigate climate change, and create a public engagement framework to provide a platform for dialogue about climate change mitigation and resilience solutions. The Advisory Council will be made up of up to 15 members appointed by the Governor to represent different perspectives and experiences and will advise the Subcabinet in its duties.
Read the Governor's proclamation here. As Orenstein reported, Walz's own legislation stalled last spring.
In 2007, like most of his colleagues, Bakk voted for the Next Generation Energy Act (SF145/HF436) Indeed, of the five naysayers in the Minnesota Senate's vote on the conference committee report, only Alexandria Republican Bill Ingebrigtsen still serves in the body--although Bruce Anderson, R-Buffalo Township, who voted against the final bill in the House, has jumped into the upper chamber. Of the nine state representatives who voted no, only Forest Lake Republican Bob Dettmer still serves in the lower chamber.
Of course, this was before the more current collection of characters who cast the recent votes in the Minnesota House denying a human role in climate change.
Bakk also voted for former St. Paul DFL senator Ellen Anderson's 25x’25 Renewable Electricity Requirement (SF4) mentioned in the Pawlenty press release, as did nearly all of his colleagues.
Bakk and North Dakota Coal
Despite those votes, Bakk has been quick to lend kind words to North Dakota's lignite coal industry. An undated (but pre-2011) story by Dave Thompson at Prairie Public News, ND says it can meet MN energy needs, reported:
That was the subject of a panel discussion at the Lignite Energy Council's annual meeting in Bismarck. Governor Hoeven was a panelist -- and he says North Dakota can meet those needs through lignite -- and renewables.
"We have the ability to generate the power here in North Dakota," Hoeven said. "Clearly, Minnesota and the region very much need that power."
But panelists from Minnesota say there are roadblocks. Minnesota DFL Senator Tom Bakk is the vice-chairman of the Senate Jobs, Energy and Community Development Committee. He says Minnesota is focused on renewables -- and it will take a lot of work to convince people that more baseload production is needed."Renewables aren't bad," said Bakk. "They're only part of the solution. Those paper mills and mines don't shut down when the wind quits blowing."
Bakk says the key will be to convince Minnesotans that new plants will be clean -- and not "dirty old coal."
Clearly, the lignite industry thought that over. In 2015, we reported about the involvement of the North Dakota Industrial Commission in Horse hockey: who's pushing the puck for new Coalition for a Secure Energy Future TV ad?.
There was a nice reception that year, too: Will scheduling woes keep lawmakers away from Coalition for a Secure Energy Future's free food?
In 2016's ND state/lignite industry partnership continues funding for Coalition for Secure Energy Future, we featured this picture of then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk with some energy lobbyists:
We recycled the picture in Is putting a smile on Tom Bakk's face the best thing ND lignite research fund has ever done?
Our July 2015 post, Tom Bakk nabs good conduct certificate from ND Industrial Commission coal marketing program, notes the origin of the photo.
Also worth a read, Fact check: is the Coalition for a Secure Energy Future "hard hat labor" lobbying group? Well, no.
We'll see whether Bakk is so eager to burn coal now that he's joined the new caucus (for those promoting carbon capture or synfuels as "clean coal," we recommend Project Tundra's clean coal; or, does Petra Nova project's tech really reduce carbon emissions? and Lignite Energy Council research veep touts experience gathered at synfuels plant).
The future Belongs to the grandkids
So has Bakk had a change of heart? The Minnesota Senate DFL twitter account shared this press conference video clip:
"The future is not mine, but the future does belong to my grandchildren." –Senate Minority Leader Tom Baak
— Minnesota Senate DFL (@SenateDFL) December 10, 2019
Young people continue to show up for the planet, for their future, and for each other – but, they shouldn’t have to do it alone. It is time to take action. #mnleg pic.twitter.com/hKPXEqa3Ls
We'll keep an eye of this guy--whether he remains the Minority Leader or not--to see whether he's sticking with the kids or the coal guys.
Photo: The grip and grin, photo submitted by the Coalition for a Secure Energy Future to the Tower Timberjay. If you see a photo of other legislators getting a certificate from the marketing campaign sponsored by $1.2 million of the North Dakota Industrial Commission Lignite Research, Development and Marketing Program's money, please send it to us!
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