Minnesota has a successful history of investing in energy efficiency through the Conservation Improvement Program (CIP). The program allows utilities to work with their customers to reduce energy use by investing in weather stripping, efficient appliances, lighting upgrades, and more. Reducing energy waste results in building fewer power plants, which saves consumers money and reduces carbon emissions by about 1 million tons per year.
For several years clean energy advocates have worked on the Energy Conservation & Optimization Act (ECO Act) to permanently secure, update, and expand CIP. During the last two years, ECO has been an important piece in Governor Walz’s path to 100% clean energy proposal.
The ECO Act expands CIP to allow utilities to transition to cleaner fuel sources. It will also dedicate up to $12 million in new spending for efficiency measures for low-income customers, including renters.
During this year’s legislative session both the House and the Senate passed the ECO Act. The bill had bipartisan support and is the first major piece of clean energy legislation signed into law by Governor Walz.
To see how individual legislators voted on this bill and other important conservation bills, visit: conservationminnesota.org/voting-records