ST. PAUL – State Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, issued the following statement in response to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) indicating problems it may experience keeping the lights on this summer. Swedzinski is the ranking Republican on the House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee.
“We already are paying sky-high costs for gas and energy, yet Gov. Walz continues to push for expensive policies that will drive up energy prices and threaten our ability to keep the lights on,” Swedzinski said. “The power grid operator in the Central United States is sounding alarms over the reliability of our system, but the governor is signing letters at the behest of special interest groups and has supported policies that would further reduce our base load power. Gov. Walz needs to get serious making sure Minnesota has reliable energy this summer, and do everything he can keep energy bills affordable for Minnesota families who are already struggling with record gas prices and inflation at levels not seen in 40 years.”
MISO is an independent, non-profit member organization responsible for providing power for more than 42 million people across 15 states in the US and part of Canada. Walz has previously released a climate plan that calls for Minnesota utilities to be 100% carbon free by 2050, and would require all utilities planning to replace or add new power sources to “prioritize energy efficiency and clean energy resources,” rather than reliability and affordability.
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