The State of Minnesota Clean Energy

With the 2019 Minnesota legislative session in full swing and committee deadlines looming on the horizon, there’s no shortage of energy bills vying for votes from legislators. Proposed bills cover the gamut of clean energy, ranging from energy efficiency, energy storage, and many bills to guide the future of clean energy in the state.

As legislators decide how to best guide the future of clean energy in our state, it’s important to highlight the many benefits that the clean energy industry is delivering:

• Minnesota’s clean energy businesses employ 59,079 Minnesotans across the state with family-supporting jobs. There are more Minnesotans working in clean energy than med-tech, and 10x the number working in fossil fuel related industries.
• Clean energy jobs in MN are growing at a rate twice as fast as the overall economy. Solar installer is the fastest growing job title in both MN and the US. 
• Renewable energy generation jobs grew at a rate of 16.5 percent in 2017 -- the highest growth rate in the Midwest.
• Forty percent of clean energy jobs are located in Greater Minnesota. Additionally, 74 percent of Minnesota’s clean energy businesses employ fewer than twenty individuals.
• Three out of four clean energy jobs are in energy efficiency -- totaling nearly 45,000 jobs across the state.
• Minnesota’s energy efficiency policies like the Conservation Improvement Program (CIP) help save millions of dollars every year AND support the work of many energy efficiency jobs.
• Wind energy is now the least expensive source of electricity in the upper Midwest, beating out coal and natural gas.
• In just over seven years the cost of wind energy fell 66 percent, and the cost of solar energy fell 85 percent.
• Low-cost renewables and energy efficiency have helped keep electricity rates low, and policies like a Renewable Energy Standard and our nation-leading Community Solar program provide certainty that will continue market growth.

Looking for more facts about wind energy in Minnesota? Head over to our Minnesota Wind Energy Facts webpage to learn more!