Doug Fredickson letter
DOUG FREDRICKSON, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, BLATTNER ENERGY 10:37 a.m. CDT August 15, 2015
As vice president of Blattner Energy, a power generation company, I’m proud to be part of one of the strongest clean energy economies in the nation. We don’t play politics with our energy sector in Minnesota — it’s too important. Instead, Minnesota grows businesses that power our state and nation, and we need to continue doing so.
Minnesota’s clean energy economy has flourished, benefiting Minnesotans, as well as on a national level, since the early 2000s. This is only going to get better — if Minnesota maximizes its clean energy potential.
It has already increased by 78 percent since 2000, providing more than 15,300 well-paying jobs as of 2014. Now, we stand to create more than 35,000 new jobs and over $2 billion in wages over the next 15 years.
Our company, originally founded as D.H. Blattner & Co. is headquartered west of St. Cloud in Avon and has a long history dating back more than 100 years. In 2008, Blattner Energy was established as a sister entity, and today provides services to the solar and wind industries.
The Blattner family business has built more than 180 solar and wind projects totaling more than 25,000 megawatts of installed power capacity in North America, including the five largest wind farms in the United States.
I have witnessed firsthand the benefits of clean energy, such as affordable and sustainable energy and community vitalization, especially in rural areas, and jobs. At Blattner Energy alone, we employ over 3,000 people nationwide.
Renewable sources of electricity will continue to increase across this country. Driven as much by a competitive price with a downward trending price-point as the desire to reduce pollution. How much can Minnesota benefit from this shift? There’s a reason that this state is a great place to grow companies like Blattner Energy.
Minnesota has long advanced policies that make this growth possible. State policymaking sends clear messages to investors — is a state open for business or not? Minnesota’s early start and continued support of clean energy policies have established a competitive advantage for many companies like Blattner.
Businesses and family-sustaining jobs are growing here because Minnesota has shown investors that it’s serious about its clean energy economy. Minnesota is blessed with abundant renewable energy resources and skilled workforce, and continued development of these resources will only create more opportunity for good jobs.
State economies grow when they attract outside money into the state and reduce the amount of money they send out of the state. Producing more energy locally will keep more of our energy dollars in the state and help secure our long-term, carbon-free energy future.
Our clean energy market is developing rapidly. Biofuels production capacity, energy efficiency savings and solar and wind installations all had triple-digit percentage growth during the last decade and advanced storage technologies are game-changing.
I urge Gov. Mark Dayton and the Legislature to continue championing policies that send clear market signals — signals that demonstrate Minnesota’s commitment to efficiency and affordable energy from renewable sources, along with solutions that significantly reduce carbon emission rates, like the Clean Power Plan.
This is a time to accelerate investment rather than slow it down. The clean energy business is good business for Minnesota.
This is the opinion of Doug Fredrickson, vice president of operations at Blattner Energy.
For more information – info@winkelmansolar.com
