Federal Judge Strikes Down Minnesota Coal Law
A federal district court judge has struck down a 2007 Minnesota law that restricted the ability of Minnesota utilities to build new coal plants or import energy generated from coal. The court found that the Minnesota law effectively regulated out-of-state utilities that might wish to sell power in Minnesota and therefore “overreache[d]” by encroaching on the exclusive power of the U.S. Congress to legislate regarding the regulation of interstate commerce. The plaintiffs successfully challenging the law include Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc. and Basin Electric Power Cooperative. Click here for more.