>> CATHY: CLEAN ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT BROUGHT SCORES OF CITIZENS AND BUSINESS LEADERS TO THE CAPITOL THIS WEEK.

AS MARY LAHAMMER REPORTS, FOLKS ARE BUSY IMPLEMENTING THE NATION-LEADING LEGISLATION PASSED BY THIS LEGISLATURE.

>> THAT WILL HELP OUR FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITIES BUILD WEALTH.

>> Mary: CLEAN ENERGY IS A BIG DEAL IN MINNESOTA.

EVER SINCE GOVERNOR WALZ SIGNED THE GROUND BREAKING BILL REQUIRING 00% OF ELECTRICITY TO BE CARBON FREE BY 2040 IN THE STATE, THE ENERGY INDUSTRY MUST BE READY TO IMPLEMENT.

>> IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, WE HAVE NEARLY 60,000 CLEAN ENERGY JOBS.

AND THOSE JOBS ARE PREAD THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

AND NEARLY A THIRD OF ALL CLEAN ENERGY JOBS ARE ACTUALLY IN GREATER MINNESOTA.

SO THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS AND THE JOB CREATION IS HAPPENING IN ALL CORNERS OF STATE.

>> IT'S AN EXCITING TIME BECAUSE LAST YEAR WE PASSED 100% CARBON FREE STANDARD AND OBVIOUSLY THE SOLAR INDUSTRY FITS INTO THAT.

I THINK THE CHALLENGE NOW THAT WE'RE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION STAGE OF ALL THAT IS TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT EVERY SINGLE SCALE OF SOLAR FROM SMALL ROOF TOP SOLAR ALL THE WAY UP TO UTILITY SCALE SOLAR IS INVOLVED IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY.

>> THERE YOU GO.

[ Applause ] >> Mary: WALZ ISN'T THE FIRST GOVERNOR OUT FRONT ON UNUSUALLY ENERGY.

REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR TIM PAWLENTY ALSO SIGNED A NATION-LEADING BILL.

HOW REMARKABLE IS IT THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE DO?

>> I THINK IT'S REALLY EXCITING WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CLEAN ENERGY AND THIS OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE IT'S BIPARTISAN IN NATURE WHERE IT'S CREATING JOBS.

IT'S HELPING TO DIVERSIFY OUR ECONOMY AND ALSO IMPROVE OUR ENERGY SECURITY.

>> MY PERCEPTION IS THAT SUNNIER CLIMATES WERE AHEAD OF US.

>> SO WHEN WE HAVE A COLD SUNNY DAY HERE IN MINNESOTA, THAT'S PRIME FOR SOLAR DEVELOPMENT AND SOLAR PRODUCTION.

SO IT'S NOT OVERHEATING, YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANY EFFICIENCY LOSSES.

PEOPLE THINK, OH, THEY'RE WAY UP NORTH, THEY CAN'T DO THAT, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY NOT TRUE.

>> Mary: HUNDREDS SHOWED THEIR ENTHUSIASM FOR THE LARGEST CLEAN ENERGY BUSINESS DAY IN ITS HISTORY INCLUDING AN APPEARANCE BY THE HOUSE SPEAKER.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT MINNESOTA IS A STATE THAT IS IN THE FOREFRONT OF ALL THE STATES IN THE UNITED STATES.

BECAUSE THERE'S TREMENDOUS ECONOMIC GROWTH THAT COMES WITH TRANSITIONING FROM A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY.

>> Mary: THE ENVIRONMENT AND RENEWABLE ENERGY ARE TOPIC RELATIONSHIPS FOR YOUNG VOTE - VOTERS.

>> MINNESOTA'S A NATIONAL LEADER, SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE -- >> ONE OF THE EXCITING THINGS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE IS SOLAR INSTALLER IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING JOBS IN THE DRESM AND HERE IN MINNESOTA.

>> Mary: AND IN THE NATION'S CAPITOL, THE FEDERAL E.P.A.

ANNOUNCED THE FIRST EVER REGULATIONS FOR PFAS OR FOREVER CHEMICALS IN DRINKING WATER FOLLOWING MINNESOTA'S LEAD.

>> MINNESOTA BECAME A GLOBAL LEADER WHEN WE PASSED THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE BAN ON PFAS IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS IN THE WORLD.

>> Mary: AMARA'S LAW IS APPROACHING YEAR.

>> PFAS ROBBED MY SISTER AND I OF A NORMAL CHILDHOOD AND OUR TEENAGE YEARS.

>> SHE WAS IN I.C.U.

FOR OVER 40 DAYS.

I HAD TO MISS MY FIRST COUPLE MONTHS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL, LOSING TIMING TO MAKE FRIENDS WHICH IS ALREADY HARD AT THAT AGE.

MY PARENTS HAD TO MISS WORK AS WELL.

BUT THOSE IRST 40 DAYS OF DIAGNOSIS IS A AMOUNTED TO ONE BILL COSTS OVER $900,000.

>> ONCE AMARA'S LAW WAS SIGNED INTO LAW, HERE IN MINNESOTA, IT SET OFF A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT WENT FROM THE MINNESOTA CAPITOL TO OTHER STATES, TO THE FEDERAL CAPITOL, AND TO THE WHITE HOUSE.

>> Mary: OTHER STATES FOLLOWED MINNESOTA INCLUDING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

>> AS A PROUD AUTHOR OF THAT INFORMATION DISCLOSURE BILL, I AM HERE TODAY TO AFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFE GUARDING OUR WATER, OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND THE HEALTH OF EVERY MINNESOTAN.

IN 020, PRESIDENT BIDEN PLEDGED TO IMPROVE DRINKING WATER STANDARDS.

TODAY WE CELEBRATE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FOR FULFILLING THEIR PROMISES.

>> I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY IN CELEBRATION AND RELIEF.

FOR YEARS, MINNESOTANS HAVE BEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM ON PFAS, AND IT FELT LIKE WE WERE ALONE IN THIS FIGHT.

BUT THIS DECISION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FEELS LIKE VEINED DI OCCASION OF EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR.

>> WHILE WE DO WHAT'S BEST FOR MINNESOTA IN MINNESOTA, WE DO ALSO HAVE NATIONAL IMPACT.

WE'RE ALREADY SEEING THE EFFECTS OF WHAT W