Students and community members in the Twin Cities delivered more than 800 comments to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC), urging coal plant operator Xcel Energy Inc. to invest in clean energy.
Sierra Club’s Campuses Beyond Coal student group at the University of Minnesota gathered comments on Xcel Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan, which examines where Xcel will source its energy over the next 15 years, and is reviewed by the PUC. Specifically, the students asked Xcel to:
- increase its commitment to renewable energy and energy efficiency by retiring Sherburne County (Sherco) Coal Generating Station;
- build 5,000 MW of new wind generation;
- build 1,000 MW of solar generation, and;
- achieve a 2 percent annual energy efficiency standard.
Student leaders and community members representing the Sierra Club, the Will Steger Foundation, Campuses Beyond Coal, and the Minnesota Youth Environmental Network delivered the comments together.
30,000 tons of coal (three trainloads) are burned each day at the the Sherco Coal Generating Station, which provides power to the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. The Club’s Campuses Beyond Coal campaign aims to retire the entire fleet of campus owned coal plants and end schools' dependence on the coal-generated electricity they purchase.
30,000 tons of coal (three trainloads) are burned each day at the the Sherco Coal Generating Station, which provides power to the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. The Club’s Campuses Beyond Coal campaign aims to retire the entire fleet of campus owned coal plants and end schools' dependence on the coal-generated electricity they purchase.
Campuses Beyond Coal will continue collecting students’ comments on the Integrated Resource Plan. The student group also plans to host a town hall forum in February with community members, policy leaders, and technical experts.
(Image: Students and community members hold the 800 petitions they collected in front of the PUC building. Pictured L to R Amanda Primeau Joshua Low, Casey Dabrowski, Mike Brothers, Siri Simons. Photo courtesy of Christy Newell.)