Getting to Green: Minnesota's energy future

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Minnesota officials have set an ambitious goal for the state to be carbon-neutral by 2050.

Getting there will require generating our electricity from clean sources such as wind and solar, and electrifying vehicles, homes, office buildings, factories and farms that currently rely on fossil fuels.

Getting to Green: Minnesota’s energy future is a MPR News series digging deep into stories of the clean energy transition — and the opportunities and obstacles to reach that milestone.

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Why wonky building codes could be key in reducing state’s climate impact
Building codes set minimum safety requirements for how new homes should be designed and constructed. But they can also be an important behind-the-scenes tool to fight climate change.
Report finds Minnesota outpacing the country in carbon-free electricity
For the fourth straight year, Minnesota produced more than half its electricity from carbon-free sources in 2023, helping lead to a 10 percent annual drop in greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector, according to a new report.
Xcel Energy hopes charging more for electricity during peak hours will encourage customers to shift energy use
Utilities are turning to so-called “time-of-use” rates to encourage customers to shift some of their energy use away from periods of high demand, when producing and delivering energy is more expensive and often, more polluting.
Climate solution or pipe dream? Carbon capture and coal power plants
An electric cooperative that serves customers in Minnesota and North Dakota wants to build one of the worlds largest carbon capture facilities. Skeptics doubt Project Tundra will work, but the Biden administration has thrown its support behind the nearly $2 billion project.
Transforming a 1909 St. Paul house into an all-electric green home for the future
A St. Paul couple transformed their century-old home into an all-electric green home for the future, showing the way for other homeowners to help reduce the amount of carbon emissions Minnesotans generate in their homes.
 Wind and solar energy producers frustrated by connection delays, congestion in power grid
Across Minnesota, solar and wind companies are building new facilities to generate green energy. However, many are frustrated by long delays in getting connected to the power grid, and then when they do, many find they cannot operate at full capacity because the grid cannot handle it. 
Solar fence stops snow and generates electricity
Minnesota uses miles of snow fences to catch blowing snow before it drifts onto roadways in a typical winter. At a one-of-a-kind test site near Moorhead, researchers are finding a year-round use for the snow fence.