Minnesota Energy Campaigns

Take Action!

What an exciting month for Minnesota Climate and Energy policy.  We encourage you to get involved in a number of key ways. First off, are you interested in being a Rapid Response Legislative Action Team Member? Go to this form and fill it out! Abbie will be in touch with you shortly.

1) Connect with Your Legislators: Urge them to Vote for the Clean Energy Omnibus Bill

Contact your Minnesota legislators know that you expect them to advance legislation that will help us reach our carbon reduction goals.  Click here to find links to your Minnesota legislators’ home pages.  Below are some specifics that are worth mentioning.

Within the next week, we will see a vote on the floor in both the MN House and MN Senate. It’s time to turn up the heat on our legislators to ensure they vote the right way.

Call your legislator today to urge them to vote for the Energy Omnibus Bill. Click here to type in your zip code and get the contact information for your state representatives and senators


2) Attend the Transportation for a Stronger Economy Rally!

Let’s make the difference between cutting transportation options and investing in public transportation! Attend the Transportation Rally outside of Gov Dayton’s office!

Now is the time to pass a bill that significantly increases funding for transit, bicycling, pedestrian, and accessibility improvements. Instead, the House and Senate have both passed a “lights-on only bill” that include no funding for increased bus service and no funding for major projects like the Southwest light rail.

Problem:
By doing nothing, Minnesota legislators are jeopardizing projects like the Southwest light rail, and we face a bleak future of fighting cuts to transit every year. Other states across the country are not waiting to make investments in transportation. Minnesotans cannot afford to wait either: jobs and key projects are at stake, and our region cannot fall further behind.

Solution:
We need you to show up at the Capitol and march with us! We must show our elected officials that we’re paying attention and we expect a better funding package this session. Will you march with us at the state capitol?

What: Transit Action at the State Capitol
When: Wednesday, May 15th, 11:30am-12:30pm
Where: State Capitol; outside Governor Dayton’s officePlease RSVP so we know you can help us reach our goal!

 

 

Some Policy Information

1) Transportation Bill 2013 -Transit for a Stronger Economy

If enacted, this bill will make transit options more available throughout Minnesota. We would like to raise $300 million for expansion of transportation lines in the Twin Cities metro area and greater MN.

For more information, visit the Transit for Livable Communities webpage.

Let us know if you make contact with your representative.

2) Renewable Energy Standard 2013

When enacted, this bill will increase the standard for renewable energy in MN from 25% by 2025 to 40% by 2030. The utilities in MN have largely been very successful in implementing renewable energy in MN, so we want to take that even farther by increasing the Renewable Energy Standard. This will create sustainable jobs in MN while lowering our carbon footprint!

Click here for more information and to take action on the Renewable Energy Standard.

Let us know if you make contact with your representative.

3) Solar Energy Standard 2013

If enacted, this bill will increase the solar standard to 10% of Minnesota energy from solar by 2030. For more information, visit the Solar Works Coalition facebook page and their website. This policy includes creating a reliable funding mechanism for solar system owners with a simple contract that pays out over a period of time.  Passing this legislation will create thousands of good jobs in MN, put solar on thousands of rooftops, and provide millions of dollars in energy savings and billions of dollars in economic activity.

Let us know if you make contact with your representative.

Thank Governor Dayton

Follow this link to contact Gov. Dayton

Here’s an example of what you could say:

Thank you for making climate change a priority for Minnesota! Mitigating climate change and reducing our carbon footprint is essential to providing for the future generations of this state. Without our clean air and water, without our land for growing food, we can not survive. Thank you for understanding the utmost urgency of this issue, and for understanding that reducing our carbon footprint provides us with a great opportunity to create jobs and build a sustainable economy. Our children and grandchildren thank you!

For more information about Governor Dayton and the Advance Next Generation Energy Campaign