Minnesota Voters Overwhelmingly Support Opportunities for Swift Climate Action
By Sabrina Jacobs
This month, Minnesota Democrats enacted a major piece of legislation that will lead Minnesota to achieving 100 percent clean energy by 2040. Clean electricity standards are a proven tactic to fight climate change and create new clean energy jobs. They’re also popular with voters. Data for Progress and Evergreen Action find that 57 percent of Minnesota likely voters support the new law, including 90 percent of Democrats, 57 percent of Independents, and 24 percent of Republicans.
On the heels of this major clean energy victory, our polling indicates that there’s momentum for even more climate leadership in Minnesota, including a number of other climate policies that are popular with voters. We find that Minnesotans are largely in favor of the historic climate investments made by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which invests approximately $370 billion in energy security and actions to address climate change. Fifty-three percent of Minnesota voters support the IRA, including Democrats by a +82-point margin and Independents by a +13-point margin.
However, Minnesota voters want to see additional steps taken to further combat the effects of climate change. Prior to the passage of the clean electricity standard law, a plurality of Minnesota voters responded that the Minnesota State Legislature was doing “too little” to address climate change, including about half of Democratic voters in the state.
We also find that eighty percent of Minnesota voters are in favor of a state program that would fund investments in new waste strategies. This includes 96 percent of Democrats, 83 percent of Independents, and 63 percent of Republicans.
Currently, gas companies in Minnesota charge an additional fee to subsidize the costs of extending the gas system to new customers. While ending these subsidies would lower the rate for current customers, voters are split on whether or not the gas companies should end the subsidies.
Data for Progress and Evergreen Action find 45 percent of voters are in favor of eliminating the subsidies and having new customers cover the costs of connecting to the gas system. This includes 37 percent of Democrats, 48 percent of Independents, and 50 percent of Republicans.
Additionally, we find voters are strongly in favor of starting a Green Bank in Minnesota. The Minnesota Green Bank, which is being advanced by legislators and is supported by Governor Walz, would make financing available to modernize water infrastructure, build clean energy projects, and ensure that communities are prepared for extreme weather events. Sixty-four percent of voters support the Minnesota Green Bank, including 93 percent of Democrats, 65 percent of Independents, and 32 percent of Republicans.
Sixty percent of voters also support requiring new buildings in Minnesota to have zero emissions by 2036. This includes 87 percent of Democrats, 60 percent of Independents, and 32 percent of Republicans.
Pollution from industry affects air quality in communities across Minnesota. Currently, the Pollution Control Agency assesses the potential pollution from new facilities in isolation when it issues permits. Many advocates and legislators in Minnesota don’t believe this method goes far enough and would like the agency to consider the combined health and environmental impacts from all surrounding facilities.
Data for Progress and Evergreen Action find 62 percent of voters want the Pollution Control Agency to consider all surrounding facilities when issuing air quality permits for new projects. This includes 88 percent of Democrats, 62 percent of Independents, and 36 percent of Republicans.
Finally, we find that Minnesota voters support a proposal to collect a one-cent sales tax within the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area in order to fund the expansion of transit services, buses, and trains, in the metro area. Sixty-nine percent of voters in the Twin Cities area support this proposal, as well as 55% of voters across the state.
It’s very clear that Minnesota voters are in favor of aggressive action to create clean energy jobs, reduce pollution, and fight climate change. The passage of the 100 percent clean energy bill is a major step forward. With a Democratic trifecta in power, there’s a generational opportunity for continued progress in building a just and thriving clean energy economy.
Sabrina Jacobs (@Bri_jacobs) is a staff writer at Data for Progress.