Where 2 of Minnesota's top political leaders stand on energy and the environment
MINNEAPOLIS — In the upcoming election, voters say climate change isn't as important as the economy, immigration or reproductive rights. But according to a climate opinion poll, 53% of Minnesotans say a presidential candidate's view on global warming is important to their vote, and 64% say developing clean energy should be a priority for the president and Congress.
Democratic governor and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and Republican Congressman Tom Emmer have varying views on climate issues.
Since becoming governor of Minnesota in 2018, Walz has made clean energy a top priority. He's passed some of the most aggressive laws in the land to reduce greenhouse gasses. One of those laws requires utilities to produce 100% clean electricity by 2040.
"Minnesota is not going to wait any longer. Minnesotans are not going to wait any longer. They've made it clear, they make it clear with their voices, they've made it clear with their advocacy, they've made it clear with their votes that they expect movement around climate change to happen," Walz said.
As a leading Republican in Congress, Tom Emmer has co-sponsored a resolution supporting domestic oil and gas production, as well as bills to counteract Biden's "green agenda."
"Republicans, Democrats alike, we typically are communicating because we're going to help Minnesotans get the stuff they need," Emmer said. "You want lower costs for Americans. You want to allow energy companies to thrive without all of the bureaucratic red tape. You want to make America the energy superpower of the world."
But in the middle of Emmer's Sixth Congressional District is a symbol of America's energy transition. The massive Sherco coal plant in Becker is now being replaced by one of the country's largest solar farms.
Emmer doesn't talk about climate change much, though he did applaud former President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. And at Farmfest this summer, Emmer reinforced using renewable fuels for airlines and jets.
"If anyone can innovate, it's Minnesotans in the ag industry," Emmer said.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is online to become a hub for sustainable aviation fuel.
"The biofuels industry is a great success story that only gets better every year," Emmer said. "Why not sustainable fuel for our, gonna call them airplanes, you know what I'm talking about? It's why not."
It's an agriculture issue Walz has also been promoting this summer along with his focus to grow green business and bring green jobs to Minnesota.
New data shows Minnesota added 62,000 clean energy jobs last year, with nearly 34,000 of those in Emmer's district.
"The world is going to continue to gain in population. Climate continues to be an existential threat, and economic benefits are going to go to those states and those companies that have the will and the innovation to take that on," Walz said.
According to Open Secrets, a group that follows money in politics, Walz got $8,250 from the renewable energy industry and $7,842 from oil and gas during his last run for governor in 2022.
In Emmer's congressional re-election campaign this year, he got $151,309 from the oil and gas industry and $22,560 from renewable energy.
