I was glad to see all the recent Camden Community News articles addressing climate change. It’s an important thing to talk about, and it’s great to be able to share information on how we can take care of our planet. I wanted to share that Minnesota’s outdated electric grid is a critical issue. It struggles to handle our move to renewable energy. This may all seem too technical or large-scale to write to a local newspaper about, but we need to increase the amount of clean energy we use to keep the trees, plants, animals and people in our neighborhoods healthy and safe.
The current grid wastes clean energy and risks blackouts. Upgrading it will improve reliability, balance energy distribution, and even save costs. We need our legislators to push for upgrades to manage demand better.
There are a number of bills in both Congress and the MN legislature that will make it easier and quicker to permit and build new transmission lines – like the Clean Electricity and Transmission Acceleration Act of 2023, the SITE Act and the BIG WIRES Act, and in our own state, the Minnesota Energy Infrastructure Permitting Act. Passing these kinds of laws will really make a big difference in our neighborhoods. Our representatives can help make these changes, if we call or write them to voice our support!
Minnesota’s leaders must act fast to approve these projects. Please urge your fellow readers to contact their state legislators and the MN Public Utilities Commission. Let’s work together for a greener future!
Rachel Battles,
Shingle Creek