Statement on Renee Good, Alex Pretti, and communities impacted by ICE 

We are witnessing a pattern of illegal and unconstitutional actions that have real human impact. ICE is abducting legal residents and leaving their families desperately trying to locate loved ones for days with no information. Seeing the loss of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, because peaceful observation is being treated as interference, has further threatened our sense of safety and belonging. A close colleague and partner of Community Power has also been directly impacted.

This is not a debate about immigration policy. This is not typical immigration enforcement. So the usual arguments about law enforcement don't apply here. This is about legitimacy. Basic facts are being contested. We have been offered an "official" version of the story that does not match video evidence. Then we see so many picking the version of facts that flatters their predetermined side and then working backwards from there to claim it to be the truth.

But here is what no one can spin and deny. This unequivocally horrific acceleration of ICE presence is taking a toll on our Twin Cities neighbors both emotionally and financially, as the recent public hearing in city hall shows. 

We cannot remain neutral in times of injustice. Community Power stands for collective well-being. We believe we all deserve to live, work and access essential resources without fear.

Now is a time to say something extra kind to someone you admire, to support immigrant-owned small businesses, to get involved in the ways you can and to take care of your own needs as well. Our hearts and hands are with everyone and we'll stand together.

Here is a list of organizations that serve our immigrant and refugee neighbors:

•       Monarca Rapid Response Line: https://monarcamn.org/
•       MIRAC: https://www.miracmn.com/
•       Legal Rights Center: https://legalrightscenter.org/
•       UNIDOS: https://unidos-mn.org/
•       Immigrant Law Center of MN: https://www.ilcm.org/
•       COPAL: https://copalmn.org/
•       Advocates for Human Rights: https://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/
•       Int'l Institute of MN: https://iimn.org/
•       ACER: https://www.acerinc.org/
•       CAPI: https://www.capiusa.org/

Make no mistake: Rising authoritarianism and the climate crisis are interlinked.

Climate instability forces mass migration, which has often been greeted with xenophobia and not just in the US. With entire regions in the tropics and the Middle East predicted to become uninhabitable for human life by 2050, where will the climate refugees all go? Therefore, addressing the climate crisis should therefore be a top priority for anyone who claims to be concerned about immigration, rather than something to erase from conscience and steamroll out of consideration.

Climate disruption, which has already cost the world $2 Trillion, also sets the stage for resource conflicts that are bound to weaken democratic processes and fuel public desires for authoritarian “strongmen.”  

Authoritarianism also has also hindered climate action, through this 1-2 punch of criminalizing activism while erasing accountability for the industries that fuel the climate crisis and oppose environmental protections. In turn, the resulting ill-gotten fossil fuel wealth finances autocratic regimes to help them stay in power. How can we “make polluters pay” if authoritarianism stands in the way?   

As we fight the bad, let us also tend our souls by building the good.

Spread the word! Help with Utility Bills at this Fraught Time

In response to the ongoing presence of federal agents in Minnesota, The Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota (CUB) has put together two resources for community members:

1. There are three steps to take to keep the heat and lights on if you're facing an electric or natural gas shutoff or can't afford your bill.
2. There are reasons a utility worker might show up or ask to enter your home or business and how to identify that they are safe and trusted.  

The Work _______________________________________________________________________

Advancing Energy Democracy

A key question: What if utilities made less money?

At the Q2 2023, Minneapolis Clean Energy Partnership meeting, Xcel's spoke out against the June 1st, 2023 MN Public Utilities Commission decision of not giving them as high of an increase in their guaranteed profit margins as they asked for. The message from Xcel's spokesperson between the 1:15:30 mark and the 1:17:30 mark in this video was that utilities do need profit to attract investors.  

The issue is that utilities are making far more profit than needed to attract investors.

Xcel in Minnesota is still seeking to continue to raise rates — and to bolster shareholder profits.

The next key logical question is "What do utilities want to invest in with all the capital that high profits are supposed to attract?" Does it benefit us?

Utilities are promised guaranteed profit margins for new construction projects of infrastructure that they can own, control and rate base. But they are not given the same incentive to do repairs on existing infrastructure or to make efficiency improvements.   

One type of new type of infrastructure we will need to see constructed is grid-scale levels of energy storage.

Xcel Energy understands this and has filed for approval of their Capacity*Connect project in late 2025. It is a proposal to install up to 200 megawatts (MW) of distributed battery storage at local businesses, industrial sites, and nonprofits across Minnesota by 2028. It will be up to the MN Public Utilities Commission to either approve or modify it. 

What is the catch here? Because of the incentive structure where utilities get guaranteed profits for infrastructure that the own, Xcel wants to own the batteries on their customers' property across their Minnesota service territory. 

Partner organizations to Community Power have filed comments to the MN PUC warning regulators that handing Xcel this extension of monopoly ownership power would stifle competition that could meet system needs at lower cost, forgo broader grid benefits, and would unfairly shift financial risk onto ratepayers. Xcel is seeking to recover costs from ratepayers, with budget estimates from $152M to $430M depending on the scale of deployment. 

Thus far, Xcel Energy still isn’t backing down on its plan to exclusively own the assets in its $150M+ Minnesota distributed storage pilot. See the full Utility Dive story for more. 

Community Power channels its expertise into three focused program areas. By addressing challenges at the state, city, and grassroots levels, we’re building a sustainable and equitable energy future for all.

Job Boards: 

• ReUse MN 
• Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTS) 
• MN Council of Nonprofits
• MN Environmental Partnership
• City of Minneapolis
• The Circular Action Alliance (jobs created by MN passing a "producer responsibility" law back in 2023-2024.)  

Open State Advisory Positions: 

• Energy Transition 
• Electricity as Fuel 
• Investments Board - (influences how our state invests $$) 
• Workforce Development 

Join Us in Building a Better Energy Future.

Together, we can create an energy system that works for everyone. Ready to make an impact? Visit our website at www.communitypowermn.org, or reach out to us directly today. Let’s create change—together.

Lee Samelson & Brian Krohnke