The ban on building a new nuclear power plant in the state is incorporated into Minnesota Statute Chapter 216B.243 Subd. 3b(a).
The ban was included in the 1994 law to allow Xcel Energy to store spent nuclear fuel at its two existing nuclear plants in Minnesota. That 30-year-old deal included one of the first renewable energy mandates. The ban on new nuclear power plants was included to ensure a monopoly market share for renewable energy in the future.
If a plant could be built small enough, it may be able to evade the statutory ban.
Over the decades, many attempts have been made to lift the ban on large nuclear plants. In 2017, a repeal passed the legislature and made it to the desk of then-Gov. Mark Dayton, only to be vetoed.
Every time, attempts at repeal are fiercely opposed by corporate interests backing wind and solar power.
In the past 30 years, both wind and solar power have gained significant market shares, backed by legal mandates and massive taxpayer subsidies. However, the limitations of these energy sources have become all too apparent.
After last week’s election results ended the DFL trifecta at the state capitol, we have an opportunity for a fresh start.
Ending the ban won’t usher in a rush of new plants. Any proposal would get a thorough vetting from at least a dozen state and federal agencies.
But legislators looking for an early, bipartisan win should consider this common-sense meaure.