Moratorium

A measure to lift a ban on new nuclear power plants in Minnesota passed the Minnesota Senate 42-24 today.

Sen. Prettner Solon(DFL, Duluth) presented her energy policy omnibus bill (SF550), and Sen. Dille (R, Dassel) offered an amendment to repeal the ban on the PUC issuing certificates of need for new nuclear power plants.

See attachment for roll call. Yes votes are against the moratorium, No votes would uphold it.

20090402132611470.pdf

NEW/Related:Minnesota Senate Lifts Nuclear Moratorum

Removal of the state moratorium on the building of new nuclear power plants took center stage in evening hearings last week.  On Wednesday, March 25 the Legislative Energy Commission heard four hours of expert testimony on the future of nuclear power.  On the following night, the House Energy Policy and Finance Committee heard three hours of public testimony  on the passage of HF 1091, a bill that would overturn the moratorium.   

Hearings of the Legislative Energy Commission are set for March 25 and 26 to discuss proposals to drop the current moratorium on new nuclear power plants, in place for over a decade. With over a dozen bills introduced in the Minnesota House and Senate by legislators from both major parties, the discussion is clearly open on the future of nuclear power in the state. The first hearing is open to the public, but not public comment. An unreleased list of experts will testify. The hearing on the 26th will accept public comment.

Minnesota has two nuclear power plants, one upstream and one downstream of the Twin Cities on the Mississippi River. The Monticello nuclear plant is older, located in Monticello, MN near St. Cloud. The Prairie Island plant is south of the Cities near Redwing, MN and adjoins the Prairie Island Mdewakanton Dakota Community.

Today, November 21st, students, veterans, and community members gathered at Senator Norm Coleman's office to demand an end to the occupation of Iraq. We are marking the Iraq War Moratorium (http://www.iraqmoratorium.com) to publicly denounce elected officials' perpetuation of violence in Iraq; to present Norm Coleman with specific petitions and demands on this account; and to re-claim and re-appropriate his office as a public anti-war space through creative representations of the consequences of state violence.