From article published in Business North, July 2025.
Ambitious Clean Energy Goals and Nuclear Ban Challenge: Minnesota’s Clean Energy Acceleration Act, signed in 2023, mandates 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, with interim targets of 80% by 2030 and 90% by 2035. However, the state’s 1994 moratorium on new nuclear power plants poses a significant barrier, as nuclear energy is critical for reliable, carbon-free baseload power to meet these goals amidst rising energy demand.
Utility Progress and Grid Reliability Risks: Minnesota utilities like Xcel Energy (70% carbon-free, largely from nuclear), Great River Energy, and Minnesota Power are advancing decarbonization. However, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) warns of high outage risks due to retiring coal plants, the nuclear ban, intermittent renewables, and slow transmission line development.
Advocacy to Repeal Nuclear Moratorium: Generation Atomic (Gen A) and the Minnesota Nuclear Energy Alliance (MNEA) have built a coalition of more than 20 organizations, including trade groups and unions, to push for repealing the nuclear ban. In 2025, legislative efforts like House File 9 and Senate bills advanced but stalled due to Democratic concerns over nuclear waste and tribal objections, particularly from the Prairie Island Indian Community.
Federal Support for Nuclear Energy: The 2024 ADVANCE Act and 2025 executive orders under President Trump promote nuclear development through streamlined licensing and incentives, aligning with a goal to triple U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050. This federal momentum, coupled with rising electricity demand (projected 16% increase by 2029), underscores the urgency of lifting Minnesota’s moratorium to access funding and ensure grid reliability.
Future Advocacy and Urgency: Gen A plans to expand public outreach, host discussions on nuclear waste, and train advocates for the 2026 legislative session. With nuclear plants requiring 15 years to build, immediate action is critical to meet the 2040 carbon-free goal and avoid delays that could exacerbate grid reliability issues and economic risks.
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Groups align to lift Minnesota's nuclear energy ban
In February 2023, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed the Clean Energy Acceleration Act, mandating 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, with interim targets of 80% by 2030 and 90% by 2035. This ambitious goal, while supported by utilities, faces significant hurdles, including the 1994 moratorium banning new nuclear power plants – a critical source of reliable, carbon-free baseload power.
With energy demand rising due to data centers, electric vehicles and industrial growth, and with the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) classifying Minnesota’s region as “high risk” for outages under extreme conditions, experts warn that without nuclear energy, the 2040 target may be unattainable. Despite setbacks in the 2024 legislative session, advocates like Generation Atomic have made substantial progress toward lifting the moratorium, laying the groundwork for a cleaner, more reliable energy future.
Read the full story here at Business North:
https://www.businessnorth.com/businessnorth_exclusives/groups-align-to-lift-minnesotas-nuclear-energy-ban/article_a3a4761d-afa7-4458-bc7a-43df54eb70a7.html