Written by Marcus Mills from Community Power:

The CLEAR Resolution provides principles and political goals for Minnesota’s energy and environmental future.  It is based on work by Community Power, in coalition with allies operating around the state, to develop a legislative package we’re calling the Clean Local Equitable Affordable Reliable (CLEAR) Bill.  

Think of the CLEAR Bill as the highlights of the energy, environment, equity, justice, labor, community wealth-building, community empowerment, local freedom and plant community preservation conversations that we’ve been having between governments (large and small), regulators, utilities, polluters, unions and the green movement for decades.  

*** First an important note: Every caucus has a protocol for resolutions.  Perhaps they require them sent in ahead of time, in writing, or maybe there is a specific form they must be presented on, that you have to look up beforehand.  Often you have to turn in a written copy and then present it, in which case it might be a good idea to keep a copy for yourself.  And, most importantly, since this is a matter of conviction and exposure as much as anything else: bring copies to share with your neighbors. ***

In 2019 Community Power alongside coalition partners have: 

• Launched a statewide climate justice policy conversation, aiming to craft a model 100% renewable energy bill around the concepts of Clean, Local, Equitable, Affordable, and Reliable energy; known as the “CLEAR“ bill.
• Supported partner organization Cooperative Energy Futures to launch 3 cooperatively-owned solar gardens in St. Cloud, Janesville, and Minneapolis, subscribing 81 households, 10 small businesses, 3 places of worship, and 2 cooperatives collectively saving ~$1,365,000 in electricity costs over the next 25 years; 
• Secured a landmark feasibility analysis of Inclusive Energy Financing in Minnesota, released by the UMN in August 2019. http://energytransition.umn.edu/projects/inclusive-finance-for-residential-efficiency/; When it becomes an operating program, Inclusive Financing will be a tool to reduce financial and property ownership barriers to energy efficiency and rooftop solar, thus allowing low-income and low-credit residents to access lower energy bills 
• Co-facilitated monthly conversations among twelve neighborhood and community organizations in the metro area, specifically focusing on how to create low-income and renter-focused efficiency resources; 
• Activated community members against Xcel Energy’s proposed acquisition of a fracked gas plant, a purchase that the Public Utilities Commission unanimously rejected in a 5-0 vote on September 27th; 
• Participated in several Public Utilities Commission comment processes to push the discussion and outcomes toward equity, access, and community-ownership including in energy utilities’ 15-year plans, conservation programming, and electric vehicle plans 
• Led the small effort to restore $350,000 in the Minneapolis City Budget for the Clean Energy Franchise fee enabled programs out of what would have been a $590,000 shortfall from the 2019 budget.

From Elizabeth Dickinson, 

"On Wednesday, December 18th the St. Paul City Council passed two pieces of business critical to St. Paul’s energy future.  First, it it unanimously passed a St. Paul 350 resolution opposing Xcel ’s proposal for a new fracked gas energy plant in their 15 year plan, and also committing St. Paul to providing ongoing commentary to the Public Utilities Commission and legislature on Xcel’s activities.  

      *** Example Commentary on Xcel's 15 Year Plan - Opinions expressed are my own, Delivered in the October 21st, 2019 public hearing. Since that time, we have learned that Xcel will refile its plan on April 1st, 2020, opening up another round of public commentary on that date.  *** 

Thank You for giving me the opportunity to speak today on this important issue of Xcel’s plans for our energy future. 

The part about Xcel’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) that I can’t quite get beyond is that it estimates such an alarmingly low amount of new additional distributed rooftop and community solar, flatlining at just 20-25 MW per year from 2021 through 2034. For comparison, we had more than 200 MW of distributed and community solar added in 2018 alone. 

In Xcel’s May 20th stakeholder meeting, the company explained that this steep drop-off was due to “market conditions”. But that can’t be true because the actual market is a monopoly with trade secrets that shelter their assumptions. 

Last Thursday (Oct 17^th), I asked this same question to one of Xcel’s lobbyists who is active at the state capitol about why Xcel’s IPR predicted such a steep drop-off. He responded that Xcel is legally obligated to add on new community solar projects. But he evaded my question by not acknowledging how Xcel’s IRP projects quashing this current momentum by between 90%- 97% in coming years and how that doesn’t reflect continuation of Xcel having to accept new Community Solar.  

Given that response, these low estimates can only make sense to me if Xcel privately assumes that future lobbying efforts at the state Capitol to end Minnesota’s Community Solar program will actually be successful.

The PUC should instead both expect and support an accelerated scale-up of community-based clean energy because it has strong consumer interest with organized groups committed to making it happen.

On Monday December 2nd, the Minneapolis City Council Public Health, Environment and Community Engagement (PECE) Committee voted to declare a "climate emergency" (See Video Here). News of this Declaration happened to be very well-timed for the final round of 2020 City Budget hearings, as it prompted calls to council members to adequately fund the emergency response to the climate crisis.

Reason being: The initial 2020 sustainability budget to fulfill the city’s commitment to climate action was about $600,000 less than what had been in the 2019 budget.

Community Power Staff spoke at the December 4th Public Hearing on the City Budget asking the council to restore this funding that saves Minneapolis residents and businesses money and energy (at the 2 hour 10 minute mark and the 2 hour 53 minute mark in this video). 

A Climate Emergency Requires an Emergency Response––to Increase Funding to Fight Climate Change

In the days leading up to the hearing, Community Power sent out emails to supporters requesting City Council raise raise the funds to be designated by the Energy Vision Advisory Committee and the Sustainability Office by $1 million from initial levels in the 2020 budget. This ask was in line with what the Energy Vision Advisory Committee requested in their letter to City Council.  

The letter which recommended the city use these additional funds to boost the Green Cost Share program, test innovative energy efficiency programs that make it easy for low-income folks to cut energy bills (called inclusive financing), and build the clean energy workforce the city needs to face the climate challenge.

*** This effort did pay off in a partial win. At the December 6th Budget Markup hearing the Full City Council unanimously approved via a voice vote an amendment to invest an additional $350,000 in sustainability funding, with $25,000 reserved for the sustainable building policy. See full discussion among council members starting at the 3 Hour 10 Minute mark in this video and going until the 3 hour 23 Minute mark. *** 

Background:

Recent Investment has paid off...

Two years ago, the city council voted to raise the franchise fee on electric and gas utility bills (by 0.5% of the total bills) to fund equitable climate work. The most notable example of this work is the city's Green Cost Share program, which  has leveraged $28 million in private spending to reduce energy bills of Minneapolis residents and businesses by a projected $40 million. That's a 10:1 savings compared to the less than $4 million in city funds spent over the past several years.

...So Why Back Off in the Face of an Emergency?

The 2020 budget had initially proposed cutting its climate mitigation budget by nearly 20 percent, close to $600,000, by shifting pre-2017 money for the Sustainability Office and other clean energy initiatives into the bucket funded by the franchise fee increase. It cut funds for climate innovation by using them to pay for things the city was already funding. The funding going toward climate work currently is a drop in the bucket compared to the climate crisis we face and the scale of investment needed to shelter communities in the city from the worst harms ahead, and do so with equity at the center.

We need your help to make sure Minneapolis stays in the climate fight!

The Climate Emergency Declaration was an affirmation that the City will deepen its Climate Action work. It provides the rhetorical basis for the City Making some heavy lifts in the upcoming years. In order to make good on the promising words within the Declaration, the PECE Committee also approved 2 additional measures at the same hearing which provides us a path forward:  

#1 A resolution for a sustainable building policy, plus

#2 The adoption of a social cost of Carbon that will help us more fully reflect the true public cost of fossil fuel consumption. 

Click here to read a summary on all 3 proposals.

You can find your ward and CM's phone # here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/maps/about_maps_ward-finder

And you can submit written comments (seen by full council) here – good to do additionally if you have a second: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/budget/budget-comments