Counterpoint: Carbon-free future will save, not cost

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Minnesota's new 100% carbon-free electricity law underscores the state's commitment and momentum toward an affordable, equitable, clean energy future. Going carbon-free by 2040 is a big goal, but it comes at a moment when we're ready to meet our potential — when renewable energy is cheaper than coal or gas, when extreme weather from climate change is costing our country billions every year, and when federal policy has slashed the cost of renewable energy. The time to move forward boldly and responsibly is now.

This paper's recent deep dive into the path ahead captured the challenges and opportunities that shaped the 100% carbon-free bill with great nuance. But the printed headline of the story reflected none of that nuance ("Carbon-free future will cost billions," Feb. 12).

Framing critical infrastructure investments only in terms of their on-paper costs is not informative. Minnesota spends $2 billion a year maintaining our roads and bridges, but no one would say our roads will "cost billions" as this paper claimed of 100% carbon-free. It is impossible to imagine Minnesota without roads; the billions we spend on them each year come back to us many times over in benefits.

The same is true of the billions that Minnesotans spend each year on our electric grid and the energy generation infrastructure that it supports. Yes, it's true that reaching a 100% carbon-free energy grid will take additional billions of dollars of investments. But it's also true that there is no cheaper alternative.

Our current fossil fuel generation infrastructure is aging rapidly and would require significant upgrades in order to be reliably operable, and renewable energy sources are the most cost-effective replacement.

Inaction, meanwhile, would come with costs of its own. Our reliance on fossil fuels burdens our nation with hundreds of billions of dollars in public health costs annually, while extreme weather fueled by climate change costs hundreds of billions more. All while severe price volatility in fossil fuel markets is being passed along to consumers, like recent rate increases from Xcel Energy, 90% of which were due to rising natural gas prices.

These trends made transitioning to 100% carbon-free energy the clear choice for Minnesota consumers even before recent federal action to support the transition with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which effectively puts renewable energy on sale for the next decade, further reducing costs to Minnesota homes and businesses.

So, Minnesota will capitalize on this moment of opportunity. The 100% carbon-free electricity law will cut greenhouse gases, reinvest in our aging power grid, accommodate new sources and locations of generation, and create jobs across the state, all while ensuring the energy consumers depend on is reliable.

Whatever hurdles are on the path to a 100% carbon-free grid, we're prepared to cross them. Minnesota has been running this race since 2007, when a bipartisan group of policymakers passed the Next Generation Energy Act, leading the nation in clean-energy adaptation with a goal of 25% renewable electricity by 2025. Those goals were equally ambitious when they were set, and we met them eight years early.

Our state's careful planning has ensured energy remains reliable through fuel shortages and extreme weather, and our utilities are ready for this next step. Carbon-free sources already account for over 50% of electricity generated in our state, and 57% of Minnesotans are served by utilities already on the path to 100% clean energy. Minnesota's Fortune 500 companies like 3M, Ecolab, General Mills and Target are committed too, and our state is home to some of the largest renewable energy developers in the country.

Policymakers, energy experts, and residents from across the state supported this law because it will create energy cost savings for Minnesotans, improve human health, lower air pollution and lessen environmental harms, reduce racial and health disparities, and boost local tax bases. By all accounts, 100% carbon-free will save far more than it costs.

Annie Levenson-Falk is executive director of the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota (cubminnesota.org).