Recent federal policies like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the CHIPS and Science Act, and state policies like the Energy Conservation and Optimization (ECO) Act      make unprecedented investments in the clean energy economy and create promise for strong future growth in clean energy jobs. Specifically, the IRA’s focus on reshoring good-paying manufacturing jobs and paying a prevailing wage to maximize incentives for large renewable projects will spur job growth in these sectors.

Still, there is more to do to meet the nation’s climate goals of reducing climate emissions by 50 percent by 2030, and state goals around growing clean energy jobs and improving equity in the clean energy economy outlined in the recently published Minnesota’s Climate Action Framework:

• Implement recently passed federal policies to support a rapid and just transition to clean energy. The IRA, IIJA, and the CHIPS and Science Act include a combined investment of hundreds of billions of dollars in the clean energy economy. Coordination across federal, state, and local agencies will be integral to maximize the effectiveness of this historic level of funding.
• Develop and fund federal and state workforce development programs. Workforce training will be critical to the continued growth of the industry, as over 84 percent of employers in the state report at least some difficulty hiring workers.
• Expand our regional transmission grid and increase ease of access for clean energy projects. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s recent announcement of new transmission infrastructure will significantly improve the reliability of Minnesota’s congested grid, allowing for greater investment in clean energy solutions of all scales.
• Update Minnesota’s building codes to save energy costs and grow energy efficiency jobs. In 2021, the state legislature considered a bill to allow cities to adopt a more efficient building standard to achieve net-zero energy for new commercial buildings by 2036.
• Increase Minnesota’s energy standard to 100 percent clean energy. Under such a standard, utilities could help design a schedule to meet carbon reduction goals by 2040. If passed, Minnesota would join 10 other states in passing legislation to achieve 100 percent carbon-free electricity.