CLEAN HEAT MINNESOTA WAS FORMED BECAUSE
Using gas is harming our health.
Numerous studies show that using natural gas for heating and cooking in our homes causes increased indoor pollution leading to significant health impacts. The health effects of indoor gas use are inequitable, and the most impacted households tend to be the same ones who are most harmed by climate change and who can least afford high energy bills. Households living in smaller or older homes with poor ventilation and older gas appliances are especially at risk.
Minnesota must address gas use in order to reach its net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal.
Residential and commercial buildings contribute 15% of Minnesota’s greenhouse gas emissions, primarily due to gas used for heating and appliances. Unlike the electric sector, which has seen dramatic emission reductions due to renewable energy, building emissions have risen substantially in recent decades.
Spending too much on gas infrastructure today could cost Minnesotans in the future.
The use of gas in buildings, both commercial and residential, is increasing in Minnesota. Additionally, Minnesota gas utilities continue to invest more in gas infrastructure each year.
While gas utilities must maintain the safety and reliability of their systems, Minnesota must try to minimize long-term investments in and expansion of gas infrastructure. As consumers continue to electrify their home energy use, the continued growth of gas infrastructure could cause problems down the road. Eventually, we risk being left with pipes and infrastructure that are no longer useful, but still must be paid for by ratepayers . Some households have the means to transition away from gas appliances quicker than others. The households that can’t make that transition could end up footing the bill for a gas system that’s no longer a necessity. Minnesota should assist lower-income people and renters to adopt clean heat technologies.
THERE IS A BETTER WAY: HEATING MINNESOTA WITH CLEAN, AFFORDABLE, MIDWEST-MADE ENERGY.
Many Minnesotans are installing affordable, reliable electric appliances that are reducing their need for gas and gas infrastructure. Minnesota homes commonly use gas for their heating and cooking, but it isn’t the healthiest or most efficient option. Heat pumps are an all-electric option that meet most of our home heating and cooling needs. Induction stoves can boil a pot of water 20-40% faster than gas stoves.
Whole neighborhoods and businesses can also switch to electrification by replacing gas heating systems with networked geothermal heating and cooling systems. Networked geothermal means excess heat from one building can be transferred to a building in the network that needs it, making the system extremely efficient, cost-effective, and safer for our health.
WE’RE ACTING
In our Communities
We believe that the power to transition Minnesota from gas to clean heat begins in our communities.
Clean Heat Minnesota is working to increase awareness about the dangers of using natural gas in our homes; the benefits of home electrification; and the Minnesota state processes that one can engage in to help ensure that Minnesota meets its climate goals with safe, affordable energy.
Whether it’s helping community members understand their energy bills, the threat of climate change and its impact on Minnesotans, or the role of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Clean Heat Minnesota facilitates knowledge-sharing on issues surrounding clean heat.
