Clean Energy Bill passes in Minnesota House

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(ABC 6 News) – The Clean Energy bill passed in the Minnesota House in what the DFL calls an attempt to make the state 100 percent carbon-free.

If it passes in the Senate, Minnesota will join a handful of states committing to using renewable energy.

The goal is to be 100 percent carbon-free by 2040.

“I trust the innovation of Minnesotans, I trust the innovation of our energy sector and I believe them when they say they are 100% committed too,” DFL Rochester House Representative Kim Hicks said.

Some utility companies have already been trying to make the transition to move away from fossil fuels.

But there are concerns about whether or not this is sustainable.

“We’re really concerned that some of the technologies are not there to eliminate fossil fuel to make sure we keep the lights on and at a reasonable price,” Austin Public Utilities General Manager Mark Nibaur said.

Austin Public Utilities says about 20 to 25 percent of its energy is renewable and they plan to bump that number up to 80 percent by 2030.