Minnesotans: We Need Your Help On An Important Issue
In the Minnesota caucus system, party platforms are built bottom-up, not written all at once by national leaders. They emerge through layers of meetings, resolutions, and negotiations that start with ordinary party members and move upward.
This process is used (with variations) by both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, especially in states with strong caucus traditions. I myself once participated in this caucus system which begins at the grassroots local level, the moves to the district level, then to the state and ultimately to federal level. In short, party platforms emerge through layers of meetings, resolutions, and negotiations that start with ordinary party members and move upward.
It's at the precinct level that platform planks (policy statements) are proposed, debated and voted upon. If you atend your local caucus meeting, YOU can make a difference.
When I became (briefly) involved in party politics (1984), I spoke up about an issue which was passed and elevated to the district level. Because I was apparently articulate, I also (unintentionally) got "elected" (chosen) to become part of the district level where I served on the platform committee. In our district we had hundreds, perhaps thousands of of "statements" to review and syntheisize into a workable platform which will be voted on item by item in the district convention. The resolutions that passed in the district convention would be forwarded to the State Convention. The state level committee also has an open ear to activists, experts and party leaders. Ultimately from there these state platform planks are submitted to the National body (GOP, DNC) to become the "official" party platform.
Today's MISO energy mix, Feb 1, 2026.
Once Minnesota eliminates coal and gas,
nuclear will be essential for steady power
because wind and sun are intermittent.
FOR THE 2026 MINNESOTA CONVENTION there is an especially important platform item to address.
Currently there is a plank on the DFL platform that asserts being oppsed to nuclear power. If you are attending a DFL caucus meeting, write a resolution to remove the plank opposing nuclear and to lift the moratorium.
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.
NERC’s 2024 assessment highlights Minnesota as one of the most vulnerable to outages, especially as coal plants retire faster than replacements are built. The 1994 moratorium prevents utilities from planning new nuclear facilities, limiting options for consistent, carbon-free power.
Nuclear power is clean, safe, and carbon-free. Minnesota has committed to de-carbonizing its electric grid by 2040, but currently prohibits the building of new nuclear plants. Our coalition is working to remove this outdated law.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://mnnuclear.org/
For more information regarding the DFL Party Platform Change, Signup Here.
Nuclear power is clean, safe, and carbon-free. Minnesota has committed to de-carbonizing its electric grid by 2040, but currently prohibits the building of new nuclear plants. Our coalition is working to remove this outdated law.
On January 24, the electric system across the central U.S. came close to serious trouble during a winter storm. The grid operator for the region issued a warning that means electricity supplies were tight and blackouts were getting closer if conditions worsened.
One major reason was that wind power dropped sharply just when demand was high. During the cold weather, wind speeds fell, and many wind turbines produced very little electricity. Before the storm, wind farms were supplying a strong share of power. By midnight on January 24, they were producing only a small fraction of what planners normally expect in winter.
While living in Puerto Rico for a year in 1979-80, I experience blackouts and brownouts almost weekly. This was disruptive, but not really deadly for the average citizen. Temps are 70 to 90 degrees year 'round there. But this past week while the MISO* grid was stretched to the max, temps were 20 to 30 below zero. Blackouts will have serious consequences for homeowners who have plumbing. (And who doesn't these days?)
* * *
Groups align to lift Minnesota's nuclear energy ban
Why Nuclear is Cheaper than Wind and Solar
https://energybadboys.substack.com/p/why-nuclear-is-cheaper-than-wind
Germany's Merz calls nuclear phaseout 'serious strategic mistake'
Germany shut down its last three nuclear reactors in April 2023, marking the end of more than 60 years of nuclear power generation in Europe's largest economy.
* MISO = Midcontinent Independent System Operator, serving electrical power to 15 states in the center of the country from Manitoba and Minnesota to the Gulf Coast
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