ERMUSR MISC 04-05-2007 - Laserfiche WebLink

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RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF BALANCED CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION WHEREAS the Minnesota State Legislature recently passed Renewable Energy Standard (RES) legislation requiring 25% of utility companies generation portfolio to be produced by renewable generation by the year 2025, and WHEREAS the RES legislation would reduce the amount of additional C02 being emitted into the environment by Minnesota utilities, and WHEREAS the legislature is now considering major climate change legislation that could have significant impacts on achieving the recently adopted RES as well as on the ability of Minnesota utilities to meet the growing needs of the citizens of the State of Minnesota as well as neighboring states, and WHEREAS legislators are urged to consider the result of significantly more expensive power due to climate change legislation and the impact that would have on economic development throughout rural Minnesota, and WHEREAS the climate change legislation being considered could also compromise the reliability of the transmission grid in Minnesota and surrounding region to reliably deliver the additional electricity needed by Minnesota consumers, and WHEREAS any climate change legislation adopted by the State of Minnesota needs to consider the proper balance between reducing C02 emissions and meeting the growing energy needs of the citizens of the State of Minnesota to ensure the continued health and vitality of the Minnesota economy, and WHEREAS the currently proposed legislation only targets the utility sector and ignores the more significant C02 emissions from other sectors of the economy, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that urges the Minnesota Legislature to develop climate change legislation that will broadly consider the C02 emissions of all segments of the economy rather than only select segments of the economy, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature is urged to consider the technological feasibility of legislation being considered as well as the ability to meet the growing energy needs of the citizens of Minnesota under any climate change legislation being considered, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that supports a deliberative approach to the passage of climate change legislation by the State of Minnesota involving an in depth study of the economic, technological and environmental elements to be considered in any such legislation, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that such a study be carried out in an environment that recognizes the adopted goals of the Minnesota RES but does not prohibit the electric utility segment from meeting the needs of the growing Minnesota economy.