Democratic Governor Tim Walz announced a proposal that would require the state’s utilities to source all of their electricity from carbon-free resources by 2050, allowing them to set their own pace to meet the goal, according to a March 4 press release from the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Under the plan, titled “One Minnesota Path…
Obstacles that have long thwarted the rapid growth of solar that sunny Texas has always promised -- the deregulated market and a dearth of renewable incentives -- are posing less of a hindrance in the face of cheap power purchase contracts. Texas, which leads the nation in wind-powered generation, accounting for more than a quarter of the U.S. total, is rapidly emerging as a solar power house. Falling costs, retirements of fossil-fueled generation, and demand growth have been instrumental in driving solar growth in the region.