Minnesota’s GROW Agenda
Minnesota’s clean energy industry can drive jobs, affordability, and economic growth...but only if we continue investing in it.
Every Minnesotan deserves the peace of mind that comes from being able to afford life’s basic necessities. Families should be able to put food on the table and keep the lights on without worrying about whether they can cover the cost of groceries or their electricity bill.
More than 180,000 Minnesotans live in manufactured homes. Too often, these families are left behind when investments in energy efficiency programs are made. Targeted programs that ensure manufactured homes get cost savings and increased resilience from energy efficiency improvements can make a real difference in the lives of these Minnesota families.
Nothing is more critical to Minnesota’s future than investing in our public schools. Unfortunately, many of our school buildings are aging, unsafe, and expensive to maintain. By prioritizing modern HVAC and energy systems, we can improve the quality of our kids’ learning environments while saving millions in energy costs: money that can be better used preparing our kids to succeed in the economy of tomorrow.
Ambitious policy and goals are foundational, but woefully incomplete unless we can actually build projects at the speed they are needed. Modernizing Minnesota’s systems for permitting and regulatory oversight can help get clean energy flowing to Minnesota households and businesses, while reducing government waste.
The electric grid is the backbone of our energy system. By increasing the amount of electricity moving through our existing grid, we can more efficiently meet the energy needs of Minnesota families and businesses – meaning lower electricity rates for everyone in our state.
Minnesota has long been home to ideas and technologies that have had impact around the world. But critical breakthroughs don’t happen by chance; Minnesota must continue to foster conditions in which innovation can thrive. This means making targeted investments in the most promising homegrown industries of today, so that they can become the global industries of tomorrow.
Here in the north, there aren’t many things more fundamental than providing heat during our cold winters. Air source heat pumps provide clean and efficient heat to keep us warm during Minnesota winters. Thermal energy networks heat homes and businesses using highly efficient local energy sources. And homegrown hydrogen has the potential to power hard-to-electrify industrial facilities to fuel the next generation of Minnesota’s industrial legacy.
Through all of the changes that have affected Minnesota’s economy over the decades, farmers have always been a cornerstone of our state’s prosperity. Ammonia produced through renewable energy has the potential to supercharge our agricultural economy while reducing our reliance on dirty, imported fertilizers.
Succeeding in a global economy requires being able to connect with a global economy. Modern, clean transportation solutions from sustainable aviation fuel to electric vehicles can ensure that Minnesotans, and the goods they produce, can get where they’re needed…wherever that might be.
Communities across Minnesota deserve opportunities to grow and prepare for the economy of the future. Smart decisions now can help ensure that all Minnesotans share in the benefits of a vibrant clean energy future.
The future begins with good ideas, but realizing our full potential means scaling innovation from concept to reality. Innovating projects like Minnesota’s Energy Alley initiative ensures future competitiveness by fostering critical connections between research, innovative startups, growth capital, and critical markets.
Sometimes nothing moves the needle faster than a timely investment in an innovative early adopter. Projects like thermal energy networks, geothermal heating and cooling and more are ready to be deployed today. All we need is a package of targeted investments to supercharge the first generation of these technologies of the future.
Clean energy has enormous economic potential, but that potential won’t be realized unless all Minnesotans are included. Prioritizing workforce development in emerging clean energy fields and procurements from diverse suppliers across our state can ensure that the fruits of Minnesota’s success are shared with every community.
As Minnesotans, we know the values of hard work and fairness. But too often, hard work does not translate into fair, family-supporting jobs and affordable livelihoods. Fortunately, Minnesota is well positioned to grow our economy and provide for our communities through strategic investments in local innovation and growth. Nowhere is this truer than Minnesota's homegrown clean energy industry, an economic engine with the potential to unleash family-supporting jobs and long-term economic vitality throughout our state.
Our clean energy industry has been delivering results to communities for decades. But, the world is catching up, and without an ambitious recommitment to this vital industry Minnesota risks falling behind.
Now is the time for Minnesota's elected leaders to double down on our clean energy future, and unlock affordable energy for Minnesota families, innovative ideas for modernizing our economy and infrastructure, and strategic investments that ensure all Minnesotans can prosper and thrive in communities throughout our state.
The GROW Agenda brings together leading clean energy organizations to advance shared policy priorities at the Minnesota Legislature.
