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Suburbs are key battleground for passing renewable energy legislation

St. Paul, MN-As energy prices continue to soar around Minnesota and the country, on September 17, over 150 concerned citizens from around the Twin Cities metro area met with U.S. Congresswoman Betty McCollum to hear her vision for moving the Midwest towards energy independence and discussed how to bring this issue to the suburbs and pass renewable energy legislation.  The community forum was hosted by the United Steelworkers’ Fight Back ‘05 campaign, which is reaching out beyond their traditional ranks to help concerned Minnesotans educate and build support for renewable energy such as wind, biomass, and hydrogen, in their communities.

"A healthy environment, a strong economy with good jobs and a secure, reliable and clean supply of energy are not mutually exclusive or an impossible dream.  It is called the future. And it requires vision and leadership from elected leaders, business leaders and citizen leaders," said Representative McCollum. 

Recent polls show that more than ¾ of voters in swing suburban districts support Renewable Energy Standards (RES), which would require 20% percent of energy sold in Minnesota to come from renewable sources such as wind, by the year 2020.  An RES would help create a market for new manufacturing jobs in Minnesota, protect the environment and improve economic and national security.  However, at both the state and federal levels this year, RES legislation was stopped by corporate special interests and politicians beholden to big oil, nuclear and gas companies.

“Minnesota has the technological know-how, abundant resources and innovation necessary to create a bolder vision for producing energy in the 21^st Century,” said Josh Syrjamaki, national coordinator for the Steelworkers’ Fight Back ‘05 campaign.  “Our elected officials need to represent the will of their constituents not the 117 corporate lobbyists who stopped this legislation from passing at the state capitol this year. It’s critical that we build broad-based coalitions that cross party lines.  That’s why we’re organizing independent-minded voters in key Twin Cities’ suburbs to put pressure on elected decision-makers at the state and federal levels to move forward and do what’s right for Minnesota.” 

Thousands of Minnesotans have already signed a petition in support of a Minnesota Renewable Energy Standard.  Coming out of today’s meeting, community activists developed a plan to continue to build support and organize around this common sense issue.