Clean Energy Economy Minnesota

TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP, COLLABORATION, AND POLICY ANALYSIS THAT ACCELERATES CLEAN ENERGY MARKET GROWTH AND SMART ENERGY POLICIES.

STATE POLICY ANALYSIS:CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY MINNESOTA AND ITS MEMBER BUSINESSES PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN ELEVATING THE BUSINESS CASE IN EDUCATING THE WALZ-FLANAGAN ADMINISTRATION AND POLICYMAKERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE IN WHAT RESULTED IN AN UNPRECEDENTED AND HISTORIC 2023 MINNESOTA LEGISLATIVE SESSION FOR CLEAN ENERGY AND CLIMATE POLICY. THE ORGANIZATION'S TOP PRIORITIES WERE ALL PASSED BY THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE AND SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR WALZ. THESE INCLUDED A NATION-LEADING 100% CLEAN ENERGY BY 2040 LAW, THE CREATION OF A STATE COMPETITIVENESS FUND WITH A TOTAL OF $190 MILLION APPROPRIATED, SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS INTO THE WORKFORCE AND INNOVATION INITIATIVES LED BY THE FUNDING OF MINNESOTA ENERGY ALLEY, AND KEY UPDATES TO COMMERCIAL BUILDING CODES AND INVESTMENTS INTO ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH WILL ACCELERATE DECARBONIZATION IN THE TRANSPORTATION AND BUILDINGS SECTOR. NOTABLE INVESTMENTS ALSO INCLUDED A $15 MILLION GRANT FOR A HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINE BETWEEN NORTH DAKOTA AND MINNESOTA, $13 MILLION TOTAL FOR AN ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUS PROGRAM AND $45 MILLION FOR THE MINNESOTA CLIMATE INNOVATION FINANCE AUTHORITY TO FINANCE CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO PLAYED KEY ROLES TO SECURE FUNDS THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND AND RENEWABLE DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT THAT WILL INVEST AND FURTHER EXPAND MARKET OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SOLAR, ENERGY STORAGE, BIOENERGY, MICROGRIDS, AND OTHER DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES. IN ADDITION, CEEM ONCE AGAIN LED THE ROLLOUT OF ITS TWO STATEWIDE ANNUAL REPORTS. THE 2023 MINNESOTA ENERGY FACTSHEET AND THE 2023 CLEAN JOBS MIDWEST - MINNESOTA REPORT WERE WELL-RECEIVED BY THE WALZ-FLANAGAN ADMINISTRATION, POLICYMAKERS, MEDIA, AND THE PUBLIC. BOTH REPORTS SHOWCASED HOW PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMBINATION WITH THE INGENUITY OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ARE HELPING TO STRENGTHEN AND DIVERSIFY THE STATE'S ECONOMY WHILE ELEVATING MINNESOTA'S REPUTATION AS A GO-TO PLACE FOR CLEAN ENERGY BUSINESS. THE DATA IN BOTH REPORTS CONTINUE TO BE USED IN DISCUSSIONS WITH DECISIONMAKERS AND THE PUBLIC AS THE STATE MOVES TOWARDS THE GOAL LAID OUT IN MINNESOTA'S CLIMATE ACTION FRAMEWORK OF ACHIEVING CARBON NEUTRALITY ECONOMY-WIDE BY 2050.

CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY MINNESOTA CONTINUED TO SERVE AS FISCAL SPONSOR FOR GRID CATALYST. GRID CATALYST PROVIDES PROGRAMMING AND SUPPORT TO BOLSTER THE ENERGY INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM IN MINNESOTA AND CREATE MORE EQUITABLE PATHWAYS FOR FOUNDERS AND STARTUPS WORKING TO SOLVE NORTHERN CLIMATE CHALLENGES. IN 2023, THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE APPROPRIATED $3 MILLION TO THE MINNESOTA ENERGY ALLEY INITIATIVE. CEEM EXECUTED A GRANT CONTRACT WITH THE STATE OF MINNESOTA TO ADMINISTER THE INITIATIVE AND GRID CATALYST IS A SUBCONTRACTOR FOR THE INITIATIVE. TOGETHER, THE ORGANIZATIONS AND ITS PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, WILL UTILIZE THE APPROPRIATION TO ESTABLISH AND SUPPORT THE INITIATIVE, PROVIDE SEED FUNDING FOR BUSINESSES, DEVELOP A TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, SUPPORT RECRUITMENT OF ENTREPRENEURS TO MINNESOTA, AND SECURE FUNDING FROM FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND CORPORATE PARTNERS TO ESTABLISH A SELF-SUSTAINING, LONG-TERM REVENUE MODEL. FOR THIS STATE APPROPRIATION, THE GRANT CONTRACT TERM ENDS JUNE 30, 2026 OR UNTIL ALL OBLIGATIONS HAVE BEEN FULFILLED, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST.

STAKEHOLDER CONVENING:IN 2023, THE ORGANIZATION ALONGSIDE ITS MEMBER BUSINESSES HOSTED AND PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, BUSINESS AND POLICY DELEGATIONS, AS WELL AS EXPERT ROUNDTABLES AND PROGRAMS INVOLVING POLICYMAKERS AND THE PUBLIC. ALL OF THESE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENTS AND DISCUSSIONS PROVIDED CEEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, INVESTMENTS, AND JOBS THAT THE CLEAN ENERGY INDUSTRY IS DELIVERING THAT IS HELPING GROW AND STRENGTHEN THE STATE'S ECONOMY. THESE ACTIVITIES INCLUDED HOSTING AND FACILITATING A SERIES OF LUNCH AND LEARNS AND DELEGATIONS OF POLICYMAKERS AND OTHER DECISION MAKERS FOCUSED ON MICROGRIDS AND RESILIENCY, THE FUTURE OF CLEAN TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY INNOVATION IN TRIBES AND NATIVE COMMUNITIES, AND THE INTERCONNECTION OF DATA AND DECARBONIZATION. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO PARTICIPATED IN GOVERNOR WALZ' TRADE MISSION TO AUSTRALIA AS WELL AS LED SEVERAL INTERACTIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND TRADE DELEGATIONS INCLUDING HOSTING FINLAND'S AMBASSADOR TO THE US IN COOPERATION WITH THE MINNESOTA TRADE OFFICE. CEEM ALSO HOSTED THE 2024 MINNESOTA LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW EVENT ATTENDED BY OVER 100+ PARTICIPANTS IN-PERSON AS WELL AS ANOTHER 100+ ONLINE FEATURING KEY LEGISLATORS ON HOW THE STATE WILL ACHIEVE THE 100% CLEAN ENERGY BY 2040 LAW AND WHAT'S NEXT FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HISTORIC LAWS PASSED IN THE 2023 MINNESOTA LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

PUBLIC EDUCATION:CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY MINNESOTA FURTHER ELEVATED THE BUSINESS VOICE SHOWCASING TO THE PUBLIC AND POLICYMAKERS TANGIBLE, REAL-WORLD PROGRESS THAT IS HAPPENING IN ALL CORNERS OF THE STATE THAT IS BEING FUELED BY THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA) AND OTHER FEDERAL AND STATE POLICIES. THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED A DIVERSE ARRAY OF COMMUNICATIONS, VIDEOS, LTES, AND OP-ED'S HIGHLIGHTING THE CLEAN ENERGY BUSINESS COMMUNITY, BUSINESS CASE, AND LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT AND JOBS SUPPORTED BY THE IRA AND SUITE OF FEDERAL AND STATE POLICIES. CEEM ALSO UNDERTOOK SEVERAL PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES REGARDING THE NEED FOR TRANSMISSION CAPACITY EXPANSION IN MISO NORTH ENGAGING AND HELPING TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THESE CRITICAL INVESTMENTS TO MODERNIZE THE ELECTRICITY GRID TO ENSURE RELIABILITY AND IMPROVE RESILIENCY. TIMELY AND EFFICIENT TRANSMISSION INVESTMENT IS CRITICAL TO MINNESOTA AND THE MIDWEST'S CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION AS IT WILL UNLOCK THE REGION'S VAST RENEWABLE ENERGY POTENTIAL, PROMOTE MARKET AND BUSINESS EXPANSION, IMPROVE GRID RELIABILITY, AND SUPPORT AMBITIOUS DECARBONIZATION GOALS INCLUDING MINNESOTA'S HISTORIC 100% CLEAN ENERGY BY 2040 LAW PASSED BY THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE IN 2023. CEEM ALSO SUCCESSFULLY LED THE DEVELOPMENT AND EXECUTION OF THE 7TH ANNUAL CLEAN ENERGY BUSINESS DAY AT THE CAPITOL. CEEM WORKED WITH GOVERNOR WALZ TO DECLARE MARCH 9, 2023 AS "CLEAN ENERGY BUSINESS DAY" ACROSS MINNESOTA AND THIS IMPORTANT DAY OF EDUCATION INCLUDED OVER 160 BUSINESS LEADERS PARTICIPATING TO SHARE WITH LAWMAKERS THE IMPORTANCE OF STRONG, PREDICTABLE, AND STABLE CLEAN ENERGY POLICIES THAT HELP EXPAND CLEAN, RELIABLE, AND AFFORDABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR ALL MINNESOTANS.