Full Title: The High Cost of 100 Percent Carbon-Free Electricity by 2040
Author(s): Isaac Orr, Mitch Rolling, John Phelan
Publisher(s): American Experiment
Publication Date: September 12, 2022
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Governor Walz’s Proposal would commit the state to obtaining 100 percent of its electricity from carbon-free energy sources by 2040, but his proposal would not legalize the construction of new nuclear power plants in Minnesota or allow the hydroelectric electricity generated in Canada that Minnesotans already purchase to count as “carbon-free.” As a result, the Walz Proposal is essentially a wind, solar, and battery storage mandate.
This report is the most robust modeling on the true cost of attempting to power our state using wind turbines, solar panels, and battery storage technology. The study finds:
- 1. Minnesota electricity customers will see their electricity expenses increase by an average of nearly $3,888 per year, every year, through 2050.
- 2. The Walz Proposal would reduce the reliability of the grid by making the state more vulnerable to fluctuations in output from weather-dependent energy sources like wind and solar.
- 3. Shockingly, Minnesota would experience a devastating 55-hour blackout in late January if wind and solar output is the same as it was in the year 2020, and electricity demand was the same as 2021.