Minnesota's solar energy outlook took a big step forward this week with a new project coming online, bringing the conversation back into focus about the state's carbon-free electricity goal.
Billed as one of the nation's largest solar operations, Xcel Energy said phase one of its Sherco facility is now delivering power to customers around the upper Midwest. Officials said it is generating more than 220 megawatts of low-cost solar power and is expected to top 700 megawatts once the other two phases are complete.
Bria Shea, regional vice president of regulatory planning and policy for Xcel Energy, said the facility complements the company's long-standing efforts to build up wind energy capacity.
"We've made a lot of progress already but the Sherco solar project will certainly help us go even further," Shea explained.
Under Minnesota law, regional utilities are required to produce 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. Shea pointed out Xcel is at 65% and the company feels confident about meeting the goal.
The state as a whole is at 54% and experts said with some urgency, closing the remaining gap is within reach. However, some advocates noted the process has left the door open for sources which are not truly carbon-free.
Jessica Hellmann, executive director of the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment, is among those who feel the state is on the right path for emission reductions in the power sector. She said a diverse energy portfolio will still be needed, along with smart management of cleaner sources. Hellman sees carbon sequestration playing a role in this balancing act.
"There's some cool science that's being done on that topic right now," Hellmann contended. "Balancing of emissions and sequestration for a small percentage of our portfolio is most definitely doable."
In the end though, Hellmann stressed sources like wind and solar need to be the top priority. In some cases, taxpayers and ratepayers are asked to help pay for these investments. But she pointed out the technologies are becoming cheaper and there will be a payoff when the connection between fossil fuels and climate change is factored in.
"Smaller climate change, smaller damages, smaller costs to manage that," Hellmann emphasized, as opposed to "larger climate change, more damage, more costs."
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Nevada clean-energy proponents have launched a new website to help connect Nevadans to energy and cost-saving programs.
One of the nonprofits behind getting SaveEnergyNV.org online was the Nevada Conservation League. Angelyn Tabalba, a consultant for the group, said the free tool aims to streamline the process for folks to find federal, state and utility company programs for which they may qualify.
Some of the Trump administration executive orders have stopped Biden-era funding and investments in clean-energy initiatives, so Tabalba encouraged folks to check out what's still available now.
"These programs are already making a difference for Nevada families, whether those are tax credits to help families install solar and utilize rebates to make their home energy upgrades possible," she said. "The progress is fragile and the same clean-energy investments that are helping lowering costs for families and creating jobs across Nevada are now at risk."
While President Donald Trump has targeted some parts of the Inflation Reduction Act, some Republicans in Congress are urging the administration to leave most of the IRA intact, for the jobs and economic benefits it has brought to local communities.
Tabalba called the SaveEnergyNV website a one-stop shop and said they'll launch a Spanish-language version in the near future.
Will Pregman, loan officer and program manager for the Nevada Clean Energy Fund, said one of the biggest barriers to making energy-efficiency upgrades is the upfront costs - so tax credits and incentives can help reduce that burden. With summer on the horizon, he said, the new tool can help Nevadans ensure their air conditioning systems are ready.
"We see that demand escalate dramatically in the summer as people's old units start breaking down at inopportune times," he said, "and SaveEnergyNV can help Nevadans be proactive and find a solution to their air conditioning issues now, before they have to scramble in an emergency."
Pregman noted that the first step in lowering energy bills is getting a home energy audit, since all homes are different and will have different issues. For now, Nevadans are still able to claim up to $150 toward the cost of an energy audit thanks to tax credits in the IRA.
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Over the past 15 years, West Virginians have been shelling out more of their income each month on electricity bills. Now, as lawmakers continue to push a reliance on coal, with support from the Trump administration, advocates say they are worried about residents' bottom line.
According to federal data, U.S. production of coal has steadily dropped over the past two decades.
Emmett Pepper, policy director for Energy Efficient West Virginia, said coal is now an expensive choice for producing energy compared with renewable resources. He adds big coal's grip on the state is costing households.
"We have monopolies in West Virginia for our electric utilities, so they should be run in a way that is the most cost effective reducing the bills for West Virginians," he explained.
Residents have seen their average electricity price jump by 90% since the early 2000s, according to Conservation West Virginia. The West Virginia Coal Association argues ramping up coal production will lower consumers' bills.
Last month Appalachian Power, one of the state's largest utilities, asked state regulators to raise rates to make up for operating costs. If approved, residents' bills would increase by around $5 per month. Meanwhile, Pepper noted, grants for energy efficiency and assistance are shrinking, leaving residents with few options.
"The state and federal government could be doing more to help people who are struggling with their electric bills," he continued. "Instead, we've seen a budget come out that actually completely eliminates support that people have had in the past."
More than 60% of Americans support the goal of taking steps for the nation to become carbon neutral by 2050, according to a Pew Research Center survey released last year.
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A bipartisan group of current and former elected officials said the continued use of fossil fuels threatens global security and they want funding for climate investments restored.
Rep. Debbie Sariñana, D-Albuquerque, state director of Elected Officials to Protect America, is a member of the bipartisan group Elected Officials to Protect America. At the group's Energy Security Summit Tuesday, she emphasized the importance of provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Sariñana cited the 161 pumpjacks located within a mile of an elementary school adjacent to the oil-producing Permian Basin, exposing kids to cancer-causing chemicals.
"The hardest part of being a legislator is watching on this committee, where they have the representatives from their districts sitting there and they don't do anything, they don't say anything," Sariñana explained. "They don't see it as wrong because money is the most important thing about the Permian Basin."
Since taking office, President Donald Trump has asserted fossil fuels are better for energy security. The Biden administration's laws aimed to invest in domestic energy production while promoting clean energy and represent the federal government's biggest climate investments in history.
Sariñana acknowledged it can be a challenge to advocate for clean alternatives because New Mexico derives a significant portion of its revenues from fossil fuels. At the same time, the state's clean energy portfolio includes solar, geothermal and wind, with the state ranked seventh in the nation in wind generation. She noted funding for almost 1,000 state projects, covering everything from transportation to agriculture and wildfires are at risk.
"All these provisions and funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan infrastructure Law and environmental regulations must be restored for the future of our people, for their prosperity and health, and security," Sariñana contended.
An executive order by President Donald Trump April 8 instructed the Department of Justice to eliminate the independent constitutional authority of every state to govern its own climate laws.
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