EPNI Statement: 100% Carbon Free Requires No New Definition

The HERC trash incinerator in Minneapolis. Credit: Ben Hovland / Sahan Journal

Minneapolis’ East Phillips neighborhood is one of Minnesota's most vibrant and racially diverse neighborhoods, as well as one of the poorest and most polluted. Air thick with exhaust from nearby highways and industrial fumes hospitalizes our neighbors and makes our kids sick. When the smog is particularly thick, some can barely make the short walk to school.

In fighting for a better, healthier future, East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) joined forces with our neighbors, other organizations, and partners in the state legislature to pass Minnesota Statute 216B.1691. Now, we want to see this law used to address and repair the stark environmental justice issues across Minnesota, where the worst side effects of industry have been pushed onto poor and BIPOC communities. 

The law aims to ensure that energy will be produced 100% carbon-free by 2040. The Minnesota Legislature defined carbon free as, “a technology that generates electricity without emitting carbon dioxide.” We are extremely concerned about changing the definition of carbon free to include false solutions like burning trash, which does indeed emit carbon.

The choices made now will impact generations of Minnesotans to come - and that is who we need to think about when defining key elements and processes within the 100% law. 

Across the state, Minnesota residents are already facing dramatic droughts, storms, flooding, and other severe weather. If done right, this law could provide a just, gradual, and lifesaving pathway to Zero Carbon by 2040 by stopping the expansion of fossil fuels and focusing on clean energy production, such as wind and solar power. 

As seen in the original vision dreamed up a decade ago by East Phillips residents, EPNI’s plan for the new Roof Depot development includes a large rooftop solar array. That carbon-free energy will fuel a vibrant community hub that was hard won by a community that demanded environmental justice and nothing less. 

Now, we stand with so many others to demand a truly Carbon-Free future. We cannot allow corporations to buy their way out of this or alter the legislature’s definition of carbon-free. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) plays a crucial role in implementing this new law and ensuring that these goals are met efficiently and fairly. 

We urge the PUC to hold a public hearing on this matter so that the Commissioners can hear directly from the members of the East Phillips community and other communities who have shouldered the environmental and health burdens of our industrial and energy systems.

Kind regards, 

Dean Dovolis 

Board Chair of the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute