Minn. committee hears wide debate on House File 9 — nuclear, hydropower, carbon capture, rate off‑ramps

The Minnesota House Committee on Energy Finance and Policy spent a full hearing on House File 9, an energy omnibus bill authored by Rep. Joshua S. Swazinski that would lift the state’s moratorium on new nuclear plants, broaden which hydropower counts toward the state’s clean‑energy goal, study carbon capture and storage (CCS), create a rate‑based off‑ramp to the 100% clean electricity by 2040 law, and prohibit demolition of retired fossil‑fuel electric generating plants.

Why it matters: HF 9 would alter how Minnesota balances reliability, affordability and the 100% clean electricity standard passed in 2023. Supporters say the changes are needed to preserve base‑load options and keep business costs competitive; opponents say the bill would delay decarbonization, risk public health and environmental justice harms (especially for Prairie Island) and open the door to costly, unproven technologies.

Lawmakers and dozens of testifiers addressed five central questions: whether to lift the nuclear moratorium, whether larger hydropower should count toward the state target, whether CCS and associated CO2 pipelines should receive a state policy preference, whether utilities should get an automatic grace period if rates exceed a threshold, and whether local entities should be barred from demolishing fossil‑fuel plants.

Supporters’ case: Rep. Swazinski, the bill’s author, framed HF 9 as an “all‑of‑the‑above” effort…