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Beltrami County votes to participate with Minnesota Nuclear Energy Alliance amid split opinions
Summary
The board voted 3-2 to participate with the Minnesota Nuclear Energy Alliance and approve a drafted letter to lift the state's moratorium on nuclear discussion, with supporters arguing it's necessary for carbon neutrality planning and opponents saying it's a legislative issue.
Beltrami County commissioners voted to participate with the Minnesota Nuclear Energy Alliance (MNEA) and take action on a drafted letter intended to encourage discussion about nuclear energy as part of long-term carbon-neutral planning.
Commissioner Carlson, who moved the action, said the county cannot reach carbon neutrality by 2040 without including nuclear energy in the conversation and argued participating costs the county nothing. "If we really wanna be carbon neutral in our energy production by 2040, there's no way that this is possible without introducing nuclear energy or at least having that conversation," Carlson said.
Commissioner Gould opposed using county government as the venue for a policy push, stating that changes to the state's moratorium belong in the Legislature. Gould nevertheless acknowledged that public meetings and workshops remain available to discuss the topic.
The board approved participation on a 3-2 roll call (Carlson yes; Gould no; Winger yes; Sumner no; Board Chair yes). The action directs staff to proceed with the county’s involvement according to the drafted letter and associated outreach steps.
