Contact: peter.wagenius@sierraclub.org
On Thursday January 15, Minnesota's Public Utilities Commission voted to allow the burning of trees or trash for electricity to be called carbon free. The Sierra Club North Star Chapter issued the following statement in response:
"On Thursday, Minnesota’s energy regulators voted on the side of polluting industries – to undermine our 100% Carbon Free law – by allowing the burning of trees or trash for electricity to be called carbon free, even though their burning emits carbon.
"Minnesotans from across the state showed up to say: Carbon free means carbon free.
"It’s wrong for powerful people to just ignore the law when the law is inconvenient to other powerful people. That’s what the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission did today on behalf of industries that want to burn trees or burn trash for electricity.
"Voters are looking for leaders who stand up to bullies. And nobody should give credit to elected officials for passing laws which they refuse to defend. So we really appreciate Senator Marty and 41 other legislators who asked the commission to follow the law. That is the leadership people are crying out for.
"But when the Walz administration actively undermines the law that Walz himself signed, then they should not get credit for passing a law they won’t defend."
