Letter to editor - Gruenhagen believes he didn’t mislead readers on ‘Green New Deal’ letter

To the editor,
This letter is in response to Darius Remus’ letter (Chronicle, June 19) in which he accuses me of misleading the public. He states that the Green New Deal is only a “resolution…not a bill, legislation or policy that requires a vote.”
Let me be clear, in the last legislative session there were at least 14 DFL bills that promoted the Green New Deal. These bills, too numerous to list, were included in the DFL Jobs and Energy Omnibus Bill, HF 2208, which passed the Democrat-controlled House by 74-59.
Some of the more of egregious “green” provisions would expand tax subsidies for community solar gardens, a new program to promote CIP incentives which allows big utility companies to collect a larger fee from ratepayers, a greenhouse gas reduction strategy report, a provision to establish an Energy Utility Diversity group to promote the Green New Deal, etc.
Gov. Walz has also called for legislation that would make Minnesota 100 percent dependent on “green energy” by 2050.
The impact of these DFL bills would be to increase electricity costs, hurting our citizens, businesses and farms, while doing nothing for the environment. And yes, Mr. Remus, the Republicans stopped all of these provisions, including the 70 percent gas tax increase.
Mr. Remus is also wrong on nuclear energy. Advancements in technology allow approximately 80 percent of nuclear waste to be reprocessed generating inexpensive and environmentally friendly electricity. France and China are just two countries with major nuclear waste reprocessing efforts. The U.S. could provide hundreds of years of cheap electricity by reprocessing our nuclear waste. Unfortunately, in 1978 President Carter, a Democrat, signed a law prohibiting the reprocessing of nuclear waste.
It seems that liberals always concentrate on our past failures and believe things cannot be improved. Conservatives learn from our past failures and with American ingenuity and optimism build a better economic future for all of us. Technology and innovation have always solved our pollution problems.
Implementing the Green New Deal would not only be expensive, but alternative energy sources do not provide reliable baseload energy solutions. A Feb. 4, 2019 Star Tribune article stated that when Minnesota experienced -24 degree weather last winter, only 4 percent of Minnesota’s electricity was generated by alternative energy.
The Green (greed) agenda also enriches many liberals like Al Gore, who profit at the expense of taxpayers. A Forbes article published Nov. 3, 2013, chronicled “Gore Making a Killing on Anti-Carbon Investments, Hype.”
My advice to the disciples of the Green New Deal is to disconnect their homes from fossil fuel baseload electricity and use only solar and wind for their electricity. When they freeze in winter and sweat in summer, maybe their brain will thaw, and they will start to embrace reality.
Regarding the Center for the American Experiment, please visit its website and you will find they publish well researched and expert articles on energy and other economic areas of our society. Liberals always try to demonize organizations and facts that disagree with their unscientific and expensive socialist agenda.

Sincerely,
Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen,
Glencoe