Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA)
October 3, 2023
Amount Requested$30,000.00
1919 University Ave, Suite 515
St. Paul, Minnesota 55104
Chris Tanita
Chief Advancement Officer
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- Carbon Reduction/Clean Energy
Program Support
We use law and science to protect Minnesota’s environment, its natural resources, and the health of its people.
$30,000.00
$2,235,307.00
$4,322,158.00
Yes
MCEA educates the public about climate change and the benefits of moving away from fossil fuels. Education is key to building the political will to change policies to achieve critical reductions of fossil fuels. We collaborate with communities to push decision-makers to enact stricter rules and hold corporations responsible for environmental and human health harms. For example, in 2023, MCEA led the charge at the Minnesota Legislature to update Minnesota’s economy-wide carbon reduction goals to match the IPCC targets. Our work aligns with the Olseth Family Foundation’s support for education around carbon reduction and clean energy.
Specifically, your support would bolster our efforts to educate communities on how they can engage in decision-making around energy regulations. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is the state agency overseeing energy planning in Minnesota and ensuring utility companies meet energy demands and protect the public. The commission decides whether energy utility companies can use fossil fuels, where, when and how much. These regulators also order companies to use clean energy alternatives like wind and solar, energy-storing batteries, and transmission lines to power peoples’ homes, businesses, and public buildings.
PUC decisions have important ramifications for the climate and thus for the public, yet the process of influencing those decisions is opaque. MCEA has extensive regulatory experience at the PUC, and we have earned a strong reputation with the commissioners as a reliably rigorous voice. Recently, MCEA has successfully advocated for two state utility companies to replace gas-fired power plants with thousands of megawatts of solar power, wind, and battery storage. MCEA leverages our expertise to demystify the PUC process through holding a monthly free virtual PUC Roundtable where energy experts, climate champions, and passionate individuals come together to share knowledge and learn. For example, MCEA recently presented a Roundtable called “regulating for energy justice.” Experts shared information about inequities in energy access, such as increased impacts from lengthy power outages, neglected grid systems, and fewer opportunities for solar installation. We also provide partners with verbal coaching, document templates, and more.
Our distribution list for the Roundtables includes approximately 100 people, and we hope to engage more with your support. In addition to these monthly sessions, MCEA leads an annual “PUC 101” workshop that introduces advocates to who the commissioners are, what types of decisions they make, and how they make them. It’s imperative that broader voices are represented at the PUC and our work is part of that. For instance, MCEA plans to partner with another organization to train youth activists on how to be effective advocates in the legislative process, as well as how to participate at the PUC.
With additional funding, we can expand our educational programs to include guidance on how to follow meetings and dockets (investigations for cases about issues like utility fees or requirements for solar power), and how to submit comments to influence decisions. Through this education, we aim to make PUC advocacy accessible to diverse voices fighting for renewable energy.
The power of this project is that we educate the staff of other environmental and nonprofit organizations who then go on to share information with their staff and partners, making our impact ripple out exponentially. Additionally, we will use these funds to engage communities more directly through sharing informational materials that partner organizations can distribute to those they serve, and through disseminating fact sheets and educational resources directly at community meetings that we attend.
All of Minnesota
The work of our PUC Roundtables will result in tangible positive educational outcomes. We have established the following goals for this project:
1) Host 12 PUC Roundtable discussions to educate the nonprofit community on the Public Utilities Commission and their opportunities to effectively engage with official proceedings and dockets.
2) Create templates and other materials to be widely shared to educate community members. For example, we plan to adapt materials from our PUC 101 webinars for youth activists who want to make an impact at the Public Utilities Commission.
3) Build public awareness and support through securing press coverage.
Our educational strategies are robust and have proven effective. The following are just some examples of how we will achieve the above goals:
1) As a follow-up to our last PUC 101 webinar, at our September 2023 roundtable MCEA’s PUC legal expert, Amelia Vohs, answered any questions that energy and environmental justice groups had about what goes on at the PUC and how to meaningfully engage in dockets and proceedings. This approach provoked deeper conversations that were directly actionable for attendees.
2) Develop two detailed “how to engage” fact sheets with in-house energy experts that we will distribute to our networks.
3) Continue to pursue press coverage about our PUC work, such as this article in Bring me the News: https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/a-bold-step-environmental-groups-praise-xcel-energys-plans-to-close-coal-plants-bolster-renewables
We will measure these goals in the following ways:
1) Successfully hold 12 PUC Roundtable meetings throughout the next 12 months.
2) Evaluate the reach of these new educational materials and the number of allies who participate in dockets as a result of our guidance.
3) Report on our 2023-2024 press coverage related to Public Utilities Commission work.
01/01/2024
12/31/2024
MCEA knows that the work to transition to renewable energy requires a strong and broad coalition. That’s why partnership is central to our work and a core component of our strategic plan. We collaborate with and convene community members, decision-makers, subject-matter experts, and other partners to work toward common goals.
From our leadership position at the PUC, we work to build the overall movement. Participants in the PUC Roundtables include a diverse array of experts, community members, and representatives of nonprofit partners. Some are new to PUC advocacy and some are seasoned, but seeking to hone their knowledge and connect with like-minded advocates. We send out the agenda in advance so that participants can attend those sessions that most closely align with their needs and interests. Attendees include Center for Energy and Environment, City of Minneapolis, Community Power, Energy Foundation, Fresh Energy, Union of Concerned Scientists, Climate Generation, Communidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina (COPAL), St. Paul 350, Community Power, Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light, The Nature Conservancy, and many more. MCEA is committed to partnering with, learning from, supporting, and empowering community members and organizations.
PUC Roundtables are held monthly, year-round. Our annual PUC 101 will be held once again in the fall. Following the historic passage of the 100% Clean Energy bill in the last legislative session, our work at the PUC has particular urgency. The legislation requires all Minnesota electric utilities to use only carbon-free energy by 2040, a significant step toward a clean energy future. But the law can only live up to its promise if utilities are held accountable every step of the way. They will fight for exceptions and off-ramps, arguing that transition to renewables is too expensive, too quick, or too unreliable to meet public energy needs. MCEA and our partners will be there at the PUC holding these corporations in check with science and the law, demonstrating to the commissioners that targets are achievable and necessary, and ensuring strong regulations that protect the public and future generations. Due to our preparation and experience, we will be ready to maximize the opportunity of this landmark legislation – and educate others across the state to join us.
Unapproved