Minnesota GOP legislators plan to ease coal restrictions

"Several young people testified to the House and Senate committees, saying they are concerned about the problems coal will cause to the world they inherit." — Capitol Chatter

By PATRICK CONDON
Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota legislators moved Tuesday to lift state restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions from coal production that critics said has amounted to a moratorium on the construction of new coal plants.

Republican-controlled House and Senate committees passed matching bills to lift a state law passed just four years ago. The coal plant provision was one piece of a larger series of reforms meant to boost renewable energy production and clean up Minnesota's environment, which passed with wide bipartisan support and was signed by Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Under the current law, utilities can only build and operate new coal plants in Minnesota only if they can offset carbon emissions to a level that they don't add to the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Critics said the options for achieving that offset are so expensive and burdensome they amount to an effective moratorium on new plants.

(More here.  See also the article from the Capitol Chatter.)