Kalin, representing a North Branch area district, has an interesting background, with degrees in ceramics and architecture; this link.
I wonder if he is a protege of Janet Johnson, a clean energy pioneer also from North Branch, who served in the legislature until her death in 1999. This link.
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Second item, cross-border environmental and regulatory considerations, over a proposed wind farm, "in southern Minnesota that would be paid for by Wisconsin utility ratepayers." This link. I am unsure of what the energy wheeling arrangements will be, and what the siting and financing situation is, and why. The report is vague about that. Have a look.
It is good to see clean energy given due attention.
Wind energy, at an economically competitive cost is becoming a reality. The scaling up of wind turbines to produce ever greater amounts of power is probably the driving factor, economies of scale, while the greater the diversity of siting, the easier it will be to integrate wind energy with its variable and unpredictable local variation, into the entire national grid.
The MPR report notes:
Wisconsin Power & Light already has received regulatory approval in Wisconsin for the project, so the Minnesota approval means the utility can move forward with its plans. The project will help the utility meet renewable energy requirements set by Wisconsin.
It might be the Wisconsin regulators are allowing the utility to meet its clean energy percentage requirements cross-border, where, presumably, the wind levels are more consistently suitable.