March 21, 2017 (St. Paul, Minn.) — Last night, Governor Dayton followed through on a promise made last month when used his veto pen on a bill that would have weakened the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and punish Minnesota’s solar customers by removing PUC oversight of excessive charnges by rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities customers connect their solar panels to the energy grid.
Below is a statement from the Minnesota Environmental Partnership
We thank Governor Dayton for his veto and protecting Minnesota’s solar customers. The purpose of the PUC is to protect the public’s interest while promoting safe, reliable utility services. This bill would have stripped the PUC of its ability to protect Minnesota’s solar customers across much of the state, leaving them at the whim of their local power companies, some of which are charging solar customers massive fees. This bill would have created huge disincentives for Minnesota’s renewable energy customers, especially in rural Minnesota, punishing them for doing the right thing. With his veto, Governor Dayton sends a clear message that all Minnesotans deserve the protection of the PUC.
Minnesota Environmental Partnership is a statewide coalition of more than 70 environmental and conservation organizations working together for clean water, clean energy and protection of our Great Outdoors. The Minnesota Environmental Partnership engages state leaders, unites environmental efforts and helps citizens take action for the Minnesota they love.