Advancing Minnesotads Clean Energy Economy

The Union of Concerned Scientists argues that increasing Minnesota's renewable energy standard to 40 percent by 2030 would drive over $6 billion in new capital investments and reduce reliance on imported electricity without significantly impacting retail rates. The analysis indicates that such a policy would increase wind capacity to nearly 6,000 MW and utility-scale solar to over 600 MW by 2030. While a strengthened RES helps position the state to comply with the EPA's Clean Power Plan, the report notes that coal would still provide 38 percent of electricity in 2030 without additional policy actions. The authors recommend combining the strengthened RES with an increased energy efficiency standard of 2 percent annually by 2020.

• Strengthening the renewable energy standard (RES) to 40 percent by 2030 would generate more than $6 billion in new capital investments to develop over 3,000 megawatts of new renewable energy in Minnesota.
• A 40 percent RES by 2030 is estimated to be affordable, with a total added cost of less than 0.2 percent of total electricity expenditures through 2030, which equates to approximately 12 cents per month for a typical Minnesota household.
• Under a strengthened RES, Minnesota would reduce its reliance on imported electricity and become a net electricity exporter by 2030.
• The transition to a 40 percent RES would significantly expand capacity: wind power would nearly double from 3,039 MW to 5,947 MW, and utility-scale solar would rise to over 600 MW by 2030.
• Despite a strengthened RES, coal-based generation would still provide 38 percent of Minnesota's electricity in 2030, and CO2 emissions from remaining plants would remain essentially unchanged from current levels.
• Coal-fired power plants are a major source of pollution and economic cost, contributing over 90 percent of nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxide emissions and costing the state an estimated $800 million annually in health-related impacts.

APA

Gomberg, S., & Sattler, S. (2015). Advancing Minnesotads Clean Energy Economy. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/01/Advancing-Minnesotas-Clean-Energy-Economy-Full-Report.pdf

Chicago

Gomberg, Sam, and Sandra Sattler. Advancing Minnesotads Clean Energy Economy. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2015. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/01/Advancing-Minnesotas-Clean-Energy-Economy-Full-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gomberg |first1=Sam |last2=Sattler |first2=Sandra |title=Advancing Minnesotads Clean Energy Economy |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=January 2015 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/01/Advancing-Minnesotas-Clean-Energy-Economy-Full-Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gomberg2015advancing, author = {Gomberg, Sam and Sattler, Sandra}, title = {{Advancing Minnesotads Clean Energy Economy}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2015}, month = jan, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/01/Advancing-Minnesotas-Clean-Energy-Economy-Full-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }