We submitted the following letter in support of the Future Fuels Act.
March 11, 2021
To Chair Long and members of the House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee:
Thank you for opportunity to express support for the Future Fuels Act today. Conservation Minnesota is excited to be a part of this broad coalition helping to shape Minnesota’s homegrown clean energy future. The clean energy and low carbon transition is already underway, and the Future Fuels Act can help capture as many benefits as possible for Minnesota’s economy—while also ensuring the state is doing as much as it can to reduce carbon pollution.
We thank Representative Lippert for authoring the Future Fuels Act, and we want to emphasize a few of the comprehensive goals within the bill meant to shape the rulemaking process, including but not limited to:
- Create broad rural and urban economic development
- Increase energy security from expanded reliance on domestically produced fuels
- Improve air quality and public health, targeting communities that bear disproportionate health burdens from transportation pollution
- Maximize benefits to the environment and natural resources, develop safeguards and incentives to protect natural lands, and enhance environmental integrity, including biodiversity
Minnesota was a leader in the new biofuels markets 20 years ago, and the policy guidance outlined in the Future Fuels Act will help Minnesota become a leader in the next 20 years of lower carbon biofuels. Additionally, the Future Fuels Act will direct the state to ensure that human health and environmental health are drivers of the new clean fuels policies—a valued component in the next chapter of biofuel development.
At Conservation Minnesota we look forward to working with Representative Lippert, Chair Long and the members of the coalition on pushing the Future Fuels Act to become law in 2021.
Thank you for to opportunity to express our support.
Sincerely,
Nels Paulsen
Policy Director