Some very expensive legislation is on the table in St. Paul at the Capitol.

We already have a surplus of electricity that we must sell at a loss, yet solar advocates are pushing for legislation that would require utilities to add to that surplus by being required to purchase more solar generated electricity AND add a new tax to your electric bill to fund solar subsidies.

These proposals will significantly increase members’ electric bills.

Legislators and the governor need to know how important this is to you.

Electric rates have already skyrocketed because of mandates and the existing renewable legislation. They need to hear how even higher electric bills will affect you, personally, or your business. The proposed legislation will create a solar mandate requiring that 4% of energy sold in Minnesota will have to be generated by the sun, and the rate North Star Electric Cooperative pays to solar generators will be significantly higher…anywhere from double the price of wind generated electricity to even five times as much, based on a legislatively proposed ‘Value of Solar’ rate to be calculated by the State, not by your locally elected Board of Directors.

Currently, Minnesotans are purchasing .02% from solar, so the cross subsidizing has not had much of an impact.  The proposed legislation, increasing that by over 16,000%, WILL have a significant impact on members’ electric bills.

As a winter peaking utility, solar doesn’t help us when we need it most…during peak times…when it is dark.

Help keep the legislation reasonable. Please pick up the phone or send a personal note, and be SURE to include the governor. His staff tells him that Minnesotans want more solar.  He needs to know how you really feel.

Supportive Legislators

In addition to providing our local legislators with the above information to help them convince their counterparts in the metro areas to change the proposed laws, we must also thank our local legislators for their support.

Although our rural lawmakers are outnumbered, they work hard for you when they understand your needs.

Grassroots Support

Are you interested in receiving updates when critical legislative activity is occurring?  If yes, please email us at nsec@wiktel.com, send us a note, or call 888-634-2202 to be added to our Grassroots list.