The hidden, hard work of Minnesota’s clean-energy ambitions

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When Minnesota passed an ambitious clean-energy standard moving the state to carbon-free electricity by 2040, we backed that bill because we believe our state can emerge as a national clean energy leader while ensuring cost affordability and grid reliability.

We also acknowledged that such an ambitious transition does not happen in a vacuum, and we are joining together once again today to make sure our state is ready to roll up our collective sleeves to make it happen.

The transition will require years of planning and commitment from the state and private companies alike. It will also require an embrace of the state’s natural resources.

On the Iron Range, actions always mean more than words. It’s great we set ambitious timelines for the energy transition, but now we need to follow through.

Our state and the country need to know that we can underpin the clean energy future right here. Minnesota contains 95% of America’s nickel, 88% of our cobalt and more than 33% of our copper — if we don’t get it from here in America, it just means we get it from somewhere else with less labor and environmental standards than in Minnesota.

In the same way the region provided the steel during the 20th century to win World War II, our state’s clean-energy resources are poised to make us leaders in combating climate change.

Look no further than NewRange Copper Nickel, the critical mineral project in Minnesota closest to production. Located on the Range, the company could deliver critically significant minerals, important to the nation’s clean-energy ambitions and security, but which has been stuck in regulatory limbo due to our federal government’s broken permitting process.

Located on a former mine site, NewRange is already working to remediate legacy environmental impacts from the former LTV Steel taconite plant as it readies the site for future operations, all of which adds up to a cumulative cleaning up of the local environment and water quality. Everyone should want this site cleaned up and that’s exactly what NewRange is proposing to do as part of their project.

The NewRange project already represents the largest private investment in the cleanup of former mine sites in Minnesota’s history, and the company recently announced a series of studies that could boost those cleanup efforts even further as part of its development.

In fact, the company is in the middle of a massive salvage effort to recycle 19,000 tons of steel from the former LTV Steel taconite plant — a building bigger than the length of the Titanic. That ongoing effort will involve approximately 120,000 union labor hours to help complete.

American workers delivering critical minerals vital to our nation’s economic security over the next decades is a can’t-miss opportunity for all of us, regardless of political leanings. Rural America can bolster the clean energy economy with its own labor and resources. Local 49 members on the Range are ready to heed the call.

Often standing in the way of important development is our convoluted and broken permitting system, a fact recognized across the political spectrum. This is why, in the 2024 legislative session, we championed the most impactful permitting reform legislation to pass in Minnesota in 14 years.

Now we hope Congress can follow suit. Regulatory uncertainty puts climate action at a standstill, kills potential jobs and causes people to lose faith in government. With billions of dollars in infrastructure and clean energy projects hanging in the balance, federal delays mean more than time — it could mean Minnesotans lose out.

We’re not asking for rubber-stamp approval for mining projects. In fact, we believe in a fair and robust regulatory process. We were pleased to hear recent news that NewRange has responded to permitting challenges by studying whether project improvement opportunities exist, and going above and beyond by keeping the public informed.

We look forward to hearing what’s next for NewRange as it seeks to develop a world-class critical mineral mine here in Minnesota. If we want to meet our clean-energy goals, we should be doing everything we can to support them.

Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, is a member of the Minnesota Senate. Jason George is business manager for Operating Engineers Local 49.