Dive Summary:
- Solar energy supporters in Minnesota have proposed legislation that would require power companies to get 10 percent of their electricity from solar means by 2030.
- The state already expects that 25 percent of its power will come from renewable energy by 2025; much of this power will likely be generating by wind.
- Minnesota's two largest electric companies - Xcel Energy Inc. and Great River Energy - both oppose the measure because they feel customer rates will spike unnecessarily by 1.3 percent.
From the article:
Today, the state has just 13 megawatts of solar power generating capacity. That’s roughly the equivalent of a small 1940s-era power plant or nine large wind turbines. The bill’s goal is 5,300 megawatts — more than the state’s current wind power capacity, and twice the output of the state’s largest coal-burning power plant. ...