Opinion | Minnesotans cannot afford four more years of Walz energy policy

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Gov. Tim Walz officially announced that he wants to serve four more years leading Minnesota. He did not make this announcement in a public meeting, rally or policy speech, but with a carefully crafted video. It was a politically manufactured message, noting that he’s “not done yet” as his reason for seeking an unprecedented third term in office.

The problem with a slick video like this is that it presents a story he simply wishes were true. In fact, nowhere is the gap wider between aspiration and reality than Walz’s record on energy. Simply put, many Minnesota families cannot afford four more years of Walz. Voters will have several very important issues to consider next year when deciding who earned their vote, but I believe his costly energy policies deserve careful consideration.

One image from the campaign video lingers: the governor standing beside his old pickup truck, a vintage International Harvester Scout. The governor surely used it for its salt-of-the-earth symbolism, aiming to appeal to Minnesotans who yearn for times gone by and the solid reliability of vehicles made in the Midwest by our parents and grandparents.

But such symbolism rings hollow coming from a governor who has repeatedly pushed policies to make gas-powered vehicles — and the people who rely on them — obsolete. The Walz administration has imposed overreaching emissions mandates and aggressive climate requirements that will make owning gas-powered pickups, as well as farm equipment, landscaping tools and recreational vehicles much more expensive. This administration has waged a “war on fossil fuels,” and in that process, has made gasoline-powered vehicles and almost everything else much more expensive to own and operate. When he needs it to get re-elected, a pickup truck is a prop for Walz. When he’s writing energy policy, it’s a target.

Increasing energy costs didn’t stop with their war on cars. In fact, the governor signed legislation in 2023 that requires Minnesota utilities to generate all electricity from carbon-free sources by 2040. The cost of this energy mandate is mind-blowing: Critics of the law have estimated that every Minnesota family will be forced to pay an additional $3,888 in increased energy costs in just 15 years. Furthermore, these aggressive energy mandates will cost Minnesota businesses and families an estimated 13.27% reduction in the state’s GDP and face the elimination of up to 79,000 jobs.

Walz and friends continue to believe that intermittent energy resources, like wind and solar, will continue to grow to replace fossil fuels. But until these alternative fuels can provide a less costly and more reliable and constant source of energy, Minnesotans risk real hardship in years to come especially during our bitterly cold winters. And the hardships and increased costs will hit the poorest of our neighbors the hardest: Last March, the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota (CUB) reported that “Minnesota households owed a total of nearly $150 million in past due utility bills, a number that has doubled over the past five years.”

What happens when working families see electric bills continue to climb to meet the governor’s idealistic demands? Can he ensure small businesses and farmers will be able to keep pace with competitors across the country with the skyrocketing energy costs Minnesotans are now forced to pay?

The governor’s re-election campaign once again wants to appeal to uniting Minnesotans by repeating his mantra that he’ll unite Minnesotans to work together for the common good. Remember “One Minnesota”? But the truth of his energy policies prove that lingo was just “happy talk.” The truth remains this: His utopian energy policies will continue to drive up costs for every Minnesota family and business including the costs of necessities like home heating, fuel for their cars and groceries at the store. This, during a time when many cannot afford their current energy bills.

The video announcement acknowledges that he’s “not done yet.” Walz has had nearly a decade in office to help Minnesotans protect the environment while also ensuring Minnesotans can access affordable, reliable energy. The truth is this: We’ve been left paying ever-increasingly high bills with an energy policy that only looks good when seen on a highly edited and slickly produced video.

This election should serve as a job review of the eight years Walz has served as governor. There are many very important issues that voters should consider when deciding who to vote for next November, including over $1 billion in state government program fraud, rising violent crime rates and a likely budget deficit due to Walz’s out-of-control spending. But elections are often referendums on so-called pocketbook issues and none hits every Minnesota family as often as rising fuel and grocery prices, all courtesy of Walz’s energy policies. If you and your family are better off today than you were four or even eight years ago, you know who to thank. If, however, your family budget is stressed courtesy of increased costs of living in Minnesota, it’s time to consider someone else.