ST. PAUL – Legislation state Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, said he authored to deliver more affordable, accessible and reliable energy to Minnesotans cleared its first House committee hurdle Tuesday.
Swedzinski chairs the House Energy Finance and Policy Committee. He said he authored House File 9 to diversify Minnesota’s energy grid and help the state meet its growing energy needs at a time he indicated it is becoming increasingly costly and unstable. One major provision in Swedzinski’s bill ends Minnesota’s 1994 moratorium on constructing new nuclear power plants.
“Any clean energy future must include nuclear, carbon capture technology, and other forms of renewable energy like hydroelectricity,” Swedzinski said. “The bill I introduced is a common-sense, middle-of-the-road approach when it comes to long-term energy policy. This could serve as something of an off-ramp from the extreme, unrealistic package Democrats passed in 2024, which forced industries, businesses and families into an unreliable, more expensive energy network.”
Swedzinski indicated the Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator has reported capacity shortfalls, revealing Minnesota’s ability to meet expected peak electricity demand is increasingly at high risk. He added that MISO warnings of capacity shortfalls for peak periods will become more commonplace if our state continues to rely more on intermittent, weather-dependent energy sources.
“The state is shutting down coal plants faster than we are replacing the energy production that’s being lost,” Swedzinski said. “This bill should receive bipartisan support as a lifeline from the ‘Blackout Bill’ that increases consumer energy prices, reduces power reliability and ultimately compromises safety. To the contrary, let’s have an honest conversation about an all-of-the-above energy policy here in our state. Let’s not create self-imposed energy shortages. Instead, let’s work on solutions through a diverse, reliable grid.”
Key components of Swedzinski’s bill beyond lifting the nuclear moratorium include:
- Providing exemptions to requirements for meeting previously established energy standards
- Prohibiting demolishing fossil fuel plants if electric utilities are unable to keep rates below 5% of the national average
- Qualifying hydroelectric power as an eligible energy technology under the renewable energy standard
- Expanding the sales tax exemption on residential heat produced by natural gas and electricity
The bill moved through the House committee on energy and is awaiting action from the panel on taxes.
-30-