In 2016, a coalition of energy, agriculture, and conservation organizations worked together to pass Minnesota’s Pollinator-Friendly Solar Act, the nation’s first ground cover standard for solar facilities. Using seed mixtures which cost less than 0.1% of the overall project budget, the flexible and science-based standard established minimum requirements for solar site owners to implement in order to claim that solar projects “provide habitat beneficial to pollinators, songbirds or game birds.”
The resulting program, managed by Minnesota’s Board of Water and Soil Resources, has been successful, but is operating in limited capacity without dedicated funding. Minnesota recently passed ambitious renewable energy and carbon-free electricity requirements, which will result in significantly more solar projects throughout the state.
Legislative leaders and a broad coalition of leading organizations have now proposed a voluntary and dedicated funding mechanism — the nation’s first license plate featuring a solar facility.
The license plate artwork, executed by REPLACE design studio, was commissioned by Natural Resources Services with contributions from Connexus Energy and employees of US Solar and Bare Honey. Representative Matt Norris and Senator Rob Kupec are chief authors of the bill (HF 5207/SF 5239) that would create the new license plate.
News item from Audubon Minnesota
