Minnesota Solar Energy Mandate Closer to Becoming Law

ST. PAUL (AP) - Legislation mandating that Minnesota's big utilities get some of their electricity from the sun is moving closer to becoming law.

The solar energy mandate will mean cleaner energy, less burning of coal and probably higher utility bills for many Minnesotans.

The Senate version requires 1 percent of large utility power to be solar by 2025. The House version includes a mandate for large, investor-owned utilities to make 4 percent of their electricity by solar by 2025. That's above and beyond the 25 percent renewable energy requirement by 2025 that' been on the books since 2007.

The two versions now will go to a conference committee, where a compromise bill will be hashed out before going to Gov. Mark Dayton to be signed into law.