New research using the Minnesota Energy Policy Simulator developed by Energy Innovation and RMI evaluates the state’s climate policies, finding they could reduce emissions 8 percent, but fall short of achieving the Minnesota’s Next Generation Economy Act’s goals. A proposed 100 percent clean energy goal could cut statewide emissions 20 percent by 2050, but a broader set of climate policies is needed to put Minnesota on the IPCC’s recommended pathway to limit warming to 1.5° Celsius. Implementing additional policies across the transportation, buildings, industrial, land, and agricultural sectors can transition the state to a low-carbon economy while generating significant economic and health benefits. By 2050, the policies in this package would reduce emissions more than 75 percent, create more than 39,000 job-years, and add $11 billion to the state’s economy per year.
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