SAINT PAUL, Minn. – On Wednesday, July 21, DFL members of the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate sent a letter to board members of the Dakota Electric Association, urging them to vote against a plan to sell the Coal Creek Power Plant and keep it operational. The legislators, led by Rep. Liz Reyer (DFL – Eagan), expressed concerns about a lack of transparency ahead of the proposed sale, the cost of coal energy, and climate impacts.
“As supporters of clean and sustainable energy, we welcomed the news from May 2020 when Great River Energy announced it would close the Coal Creek Power Plant,” wrote the legislators, who represent portions of Dakota Electric’s service area. “We are facing a devastating climate emergency. Retiring the plant and investing in clean sources of energy would help move us forward. Selling the plant and keeping it operating is a grave step backward.”
The letter’s signatories include Rep. Liz Reyer, Rep. Sandy Masin, Rep. Kaela Berg, Rep. Todd Lippert, Rep. Jess Hanson, Rep. Robert Bierman, Sen. Matt Klein, and Sen. Lindsey Port.