FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2024

2024 Minnesota Legislative Session Concludes With Landmark Achievements for Solar Energy

St. Paul, MN—The Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MnSEIA) is excited to announce that significant wins for clean energy were successfully passed during the 2024 Minnesota legislative session. The final bill, SF 4942, passed Sunday just hours before the 93rd legislature adjourned sine die.

The bill incorporates all of MnSEIA’s top legislative priorities, making several important policy changes and investments in key solar initiatives, including:

  • Interconnection upgrades for a cost sharing fund which directs the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to develop a program where developers pay fees to fund distribution scale grid enhancements to improve interconnection timelines;
  • An ombudsperson role at the PUC to help address interconnection disputes;
  • $2 million for grants to incentivize local governments to adopt automated permitting for small-scale solar projects through NREL’s SolarAPP+ platform;
  • $50 million for Xcel Energy’s Solar*Rewards program, a historic extension that brings long-term certainty and stability to the small-scale solar market in Minnesota;
  • Permitting reform to streamline and expedite large-scale transmission projects that will ensure utilities meet Minnesota’s 100% by 2040 carbon-free goals.

Other energy-related provisions included in the bill are:

  • $6 million in funding for the Sabathani Community Center geothermal system;
  • $500,000 for thermal energy network site suitability study;
  • $500,000 for Dakota County energy efficiency projects;
  • $250,000 for grid enhancing technologies plans.

The energy bill was approved with a bipartisan 36-31 vote in the Senate and passed the House with a vote of 70-11. This landmark legislation is now on its way to the Governor’s desk for his signature. Governor Walz has 14 days to approve the bill, which he is expected to do.

 

"This legislative session marks another historic moment for the solar industry in Minnesota and a step forward in equitably meeting our state’s carbon-free goals," says Logan O’Grady, MnSEIA’s Executive Director. “MnSEIA is proud that this year’s clean energy legislation embraced all levels and scales of solar development—including distributed energy resources that will play a vital role in our state’s clean energy economy.  We applaud lawmakers for taking this comprehensive approach to clean energy deployment that will benefit all Minnesotans."

 

MnSEIA is grateful for the tireless work of bipartisan legislators, advocacy partners, and our members who helped make these wins a reality. A special thanks to Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman, House Majority Leader Jamie Long, and energy committee chairs Representative Patty Acomb and Senator Nick Frentz. The success of the 2024 Legislative Session is a testament to what can be achieved when we unite with a common goal of a cleaner, more equitable future for all.

 

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About MnSEIA:
MnSEIA is a member-driven 501(c)(6) nonprofit that promotes and protects Minnesota’s solar and storage industries. We advocate in the state legislative and regulatory arenas in a unified and actionable way to move solar + storage forward. Find out more at https://www.mnseia.org.
 

Media Contact:
Abbi Morgan, Director of Business Development & Communications
amorgan@mnseia.org