The Midwest electric grid held up against a series of heat waves this past summer. But industry voices say as states such as Minnesota add more renewable energy, maintaining reliability and boosting transmission space is key. In the past decade, 81% of new electricity-generation capacity in Minnesota has come from sources such as wind and solar. .
After a down period during the pandemic, Minnesota has moved back into positive territory with annual clean-energy jobs data. The report from Clean Energy Economy Minnesota said the sector saw a 5% increase in job growth last year, with more than 2,600 workers added. Some of the biggest gains were in solar and advanced transportation, which includes manufacturing components for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. .