Policy Priorities

After several years of efforts to make it a reality for Minnesotans, the Legislature passed MnSEIA’s Solar on Schools bill in the 2021 June Special Session. Learn more about the bill and how it will benefit schools across the state.

2021 featured the biggest wins for solar since 2013. The Commerce & Energy Omnibus bill allocated $31M for the industry, including $21M for Solar for Schools and Community Colleges, a 2-year Solar*Rewards extension, and a huge new market opportunity in Brightfields.

Minnesota has a nation-leading Community Solar Garden program that MnSEIA has been lobbying for since 2013. Learn more about MnSEIA's work and how we're collaborating with our partners to strengthen this important part of the Minnesota solar industry. 

Energy storage is a great way to maximize the benefits of solar by enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the grid. With costs rapidly decreasing and the market growing, MnSEIA is making energy storage a priority.

Brightfields are an amazing way to turn otherwise unusable land into clean energy generation by installing solar on closed landfills. See how MnSEIA helped create a pilot project that will open a market of almost a GW of solar in Minnesota.

Since 2013, when MnSEIA helped pass the Value of Solar rate, we have worked at the PUC to ensure the rate is fair and accurately calculated. See how we work with utilities and the PUC so the VOS is beneficial for everyone involved.

Distributed Generation would boost grid resiliency, develop marginal land, and offer utilities a better price per MWh. However, no DG facility has taken service under the current framework. MnSEIA aims to fix the framework to spur development of this promising market.

An innovative, value-driven market maker for Commercial & Industrial solar flies under the radar in Minnesota: the Photovoltaic Demand Credit Rider. Learn more about the PV Demand Credit and how it's created more solar projects in the state.

Minnesota utilities sometimes misread the "One-Mile Rule," which can overly complicate solar projects. Learn more about the One-Mile Rule and MnSEIA's legal memo on the issue.

Few things are as frustrating to a Community Solar Garden owner or operator as a garden going offline with little notice. See how MnSEIA helps mitigate the impacts of outages by making their occurrences more predictable and their costs more equitable.

The Minnesota PUC devised a set of statewide Interconnection Standards in 2004 that are routinely updated. With Phase I of the new interconnection standards—”MN DIP”—completed in the summer of 2019, MnSEIA continues to work with utilities to shape Phases II and III.  

The 2020 Legislative Session was one like no other, but MnSEIA found ways to keep Moving Solar Forward. Here’s a look back, including our work to extend the Solar*Rewards program, the Solar on Schools bill, Community Solar Gardens legislation, and more. 

The 2019 session had several big ticket energy proposals impacting the solar industry relating to energy storage, changes to the Solar*Rewards program, Brightfields, and more. See our recap and how MnSEIA worked to Move MN Solar Forward.       

Xcel Energy's Renewable*Connect program has been a huge success so far with over 2,350 people currently on the waitlist. Learn more about the program and how MnSEIA is working with the PUC and Xcel to expand it.

In May of 2019, Xcel Energy announced plans to shut down all of its coal plants and to replace them with approximately 3,000MW of utility-scale solar. Read MnSEIA's position on this exciting announcement for the solar industry.

MnSEIA works with many partners including government agencies, utilities, non-profits and more to advance clean energy goals in Minnesota. Learn more about these groups and our involvement at the link below.