The Future Fuels Act introduced in the Minnesota State Legislature during the 2021 legislative session set a goal of reducing transportation fuel carbon intensity by 20 percent by 2035 and promised to boost the state’s economy and prove a host of co-benefits. As we talked to Minnesota legislators about the proposed clean fuels policy for the state, the question always arose—what impact will this have in my community? Continue reading »
Broad Coalition Supports Statewide Minnesota Clean Fuels Standard
Automakers, biofuel, EV advocates back new bipartisan, bicameral legislation Continue reading »
Forests and farms play major roles in the Great Plains Institute’s vision of transforming Minnesota’s energy system for both economic and environmental benefit. Minnesota’s relatively new Bioincentive Program is advancing innovations to make that happen. Continue reading »
A clean transportation standard is a technology-neutral, performance-based policy that reduces the use of high-carbon transportation fuels while providing incentives to deploy lower-carbon alternatives such as electricity, hydrogen, and biofuels. We developed this 101 blog to help inform decision makers considering a Midwestern clean transportation standard as well as others that would like to know more about the initiative. Continue reading »
The Minnesota Governor’s Council on Biofuels released its recommendations to Governor Tim Walz on November 2, 2020, which include a recommendation that Minnesota move forward with a clean fuels policy that “builds on the vision, principles, and considerations of the white paper A Clean Fuels Policy for the Midwest (2020) from the Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy Initiative and on the vision and principles of the Governor’s Council on Biofuels.” The Initiative’s white paper was the result of analysis and discussion among a broad stakeholder group facilitated by the Great Plains Institute. Continue reading »
Congress has a window of opportunity during the lame duck session to pass the most significant energy legislation in over a decade—legislation that would advance American energy innovation, drive deployment of low- and zero-carbon technology and infrastructure, increase jobs, and reduce emissions across the economy. Bipartisan energy legislation, which passed in the House and is under consideration in the Senate, can put the US on a path to economic recovery and long-term emissions reductions. Continue reading »
Members of the Midcontinent Transportation Electrification Collaborative (MTEC) this week sent a letter to Congressional leaders outlining a suite of recommendations for how clean transportation investments can support economic recovery, job creation, and provide environmental and public health benefits. Facilitated by GPI, MTEC works to increase electric vehicle (EV) use, build infrastructure to support EV travel, decarbonize the transportation sector, and improve air quality and electric system efficiency. MTEC is composed of representatives from state government, electric utilities and cooperatives, charging companies, and environmental organizations. You can read the collaborative’s full letter below.
July 23, 2020
| The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 |
The Honorable Chuck Schumer Minority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 |
| The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20510 |
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20510 |
In working towards a Midwestern clean fuels policy, there’s a great deal of interest in compensating farmers providing feedstock for fuels for the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction benefits they’re creating on the farm. Research from South Dakota State University is playing an important role in informing those discussions. Continue reading »
The Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy Initiative, facilitated by the Great Plains Institute (GPI), recently released a report detailing how a successful clean fuels policy should be designed. The initiative brings together fuel producers and marketers, nonprofit and research organizations, scientists and engineers, and agriculture and industry stakeholders.
The 2020 Minnesota legislative session is right around the corner, and Drive Electric Minnesota is ready to continue supporting a policy and regulatory landscape that drives electric vehicle (EV) adoption and infrastructure. With that, I want to share a 2020 Minnesota legislative preview for Drive Electric Minnesota’s policy and regulatory positions and some quick thoughts about how accomplishments in 2019 set the stage for this year. Continue reading »
