New House committee to focus on climate resilient, sustainable infrastructure
MINNEAPOLIS -- As extreme weather takes its toll on critical parts of Minnesota communities, state lawmakers in the newly DFL-controlled legislature next year cite curbing climate change as a top priority and see an opportunity to make investments in innovative infrastructure projects.
Among the tasks at the capitol when lawmakers return to St. Paul next month is passing matching funds to leverage the $7.4 billion Minnesota will get from the federal infrastructure law over several years. Most of the money—more than $6 billion—requires a state share, according to the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget.
Lawmakers adjourned last year without approving those funds. Shaping the two-year budget discussion next year will also include a historic budget surplus, much of it one-time money.
"We're not just looking at a two-year budget cycle, but we're really looking at reshaping the way our state works," said Rep. Koegel, DFL-Spring Lake Park.
She will chair a new sustainable infrastructure committee—formed, she said, to meet the moment and get "the best bang for our buck" with the influx of resources to invest in infrastructure. It will work alongside the climate and energy, transportation and capital investment committees.
"We want to make sure we're building things that last and that we're doing very thoughtful planning," Koegel said. "Making sure that we're looking at more than one benefit when it comes to a project. If we have a road ripped up already that we're replacing a water main in—is there an opportunity for us to harden our electrical grid at the same time?"
Only Massachusetts has a similar legislative committee, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, but 25 have some sort of state-led office or working group focused on climate resiliency.
State data show trends that Minnesota's winters are warming and the state is getting wetter, experiencing more intense and frequent rainfalls. "Mega-rain" events have been two-and-a-half times more likely to occur in the last two decades than in the 20th century, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
This can wreck roads, bridges and stormwater systems and run up big bills for local governments. For the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, state investments to improve local infrastructure is a top priority for the 100 members outside the seven-county Twin Cities metro.
"It takes a lot money even to think through sort of where are some of the pinch points that may happen when we get some of these extreme weather events," said Elizabeth Wefel, who lobbies for environmental-related policy on behalf of the coalition.
A survey of local government organizations by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency found financial resources for construction of climate-resilient projects and best practices for adaptation would be the most helpful ways the state could assist them.
One in four don't have plans to address extreme weather impacts.
"What we have is this opportunity to help cities and other local governments think through those opportunities, make plans for the future and start investing in that infrastructure," Wefel added.