All Energy Solar’s Takeaways from MnSEIA’s Gate to Solar 2025

The Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MnSEIA) hosted the Gateway to Solar Conference 2025 on October 7th and 8th. This two-day event brought together many solar professionals from across the country and provided an excellent platform for networking, education, and collaboration.

Attendees had the opportunity to sit in on in-depth educational sessions, hear from solar leaders and state legislators, and gain insights into the future of Minnesota solar, feeding our minds with knowledge to navigate the industry’s evolution.

Here are some takeaways from our team members.

Regulatory Revamp: Modernizing America’s Utility Regulatory System

• Everyone’s electric bills are rising, and no state has implemented regulations to address this issue.
• The surge in electricity prices is outpacing the rate of inflation, demanding our immediate attention and action.
• For the first time in a while, the media is shining a spotlight on the escalating electricity costs, a matter that was previously overlooked. The challenge we face now is an inefficient, antiquated grid system that urgently requires modernization. Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) are likely to make the biggest difference, and that is who we should put pressure on regarding costs.

The Future of Minnesota Solar: A Multi-Agency Roundtable

• PUCs are trying to avoid passing any costs to consumers from any new data centers.
• As part of their regulatory duties, PUCs require an environmental review for new data centers. This review process aims to assess the potential environmental impact of these data centers, which could influence their overall cost and the burden they place on the grid. Overall, there is concern about the lack of transparency regarding data centers, but the PUCs can only respond to legal filings. They cannot take the initiative.
• The Attorney General’s office is focused on consumer protection, but will advocate for anyone (including solar companies) if it is in line with our legal rights.
• Rural MN communities are open to solar but want to ensure that solar panels are not covering prime agricultural land. They would rather use land that they cannot plant on, which is less controversial – OR create agrivoltaics systems to combine land use.
• Public Utility Commissions (PUC) doesn’t want people to hold their breath for new MN-specific tax credits; the state doesn’t have the resources. Instead, they want to focus on permitting reform and regulatory changes to keep the price of installing solar decreasing.

DER Dichotomy: What Utility-Owned Distributed Solar + Storage Means for Decentralized Power

• The speaker sees utilities not as competitors but as an opportunity to expand sales for “good” solar that doesn’t depend on financing.
• Using Excel as a public good will benefit the public by fostering infrastructure growth.
• Batteries help the grid grow in capacity, which is why they have so much bipartisan support.

Moratorium Meltdown: Will New Nuclear Become a MN Reality?

• Blake Johnson from the Prairie Island Indian Community says the decision to build the nuclear plant on Prairie Island was made without input from the tribal community and involved government lies about what was being built and how waste would be handled. It is currently too close to the community, and a solution is needed. The tribal community’s existence is tied to the land, and if the nuclear plant were to damage the land, they would leave. Therefore, the community would cease to exist.
• Representative Spencer Igo says we need a baseload of power to meet our 2040 clean energy goals, and nuclear is the way to achieve it. We are the only state with a complete moratorium on nuclear and the goal of the bill to lift it is to allow us to explore this as a solution. In addition, it will create jobs and lower electricity rates.
• Lindsey Potter (Nukewatch Co-director) says nuclear is not a renewable energy source because it requires uranium fuel, which involves mining. She says that nuclear plants shut down after 70 years on average, and the waste needs safe storage for 200,000 years. The investment funds for this are now coming from big tech leaders who know that data centers need more energy than ever. 

Indigenous Energy: Solar Solutions for Tribal Sovereignty

• Public Utility Commissions (PUC) supports the White Earth Utility Commission.
• The White Earth Utility Commission creates the opportunity for the community to have much more autonomy over energy, including permitting for new pipelines, avoiding sacred sites for the tribe in any building they undertake, deciding where lines go, and approving their own energy rates.
• Tribal Advocacy Council on Energy (TACE) advocates for tribal communities at the state level.

From Boom to Blackout: Federal Uncertainty and the Fight for Solar’s Survival 

• There’s reason for optimism; we as an industry are adaptable. This is evident in recent months.
• All they can do to respond to uncertainty is buy many panels so they’re safe harbored. 
• The current government shutdown only adds uncertainty to additional legislation, especially Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC). Has that been defined? 

• A veiled positive: tax credits going away leads to more people installing solar. It incentivized quicker deployment. The uncertainty is, where will we be in a year? 
• AI and data centers will use more energy than anything else. 

Solar on Public Buildings 101: A Minnesota Case Study

• Installing solar on public buildings can lower local government operations/utilities costs, which could reallocate those funds to address other pressing needs deemed high priorities by local communities.
• Targeting government buildings for solar can help “spark” more residential solar interest in the local communities.
• Solar gardens are a great way to introduce solar to communities that don’t know much about it (especially outside of Minnesota) and to show how financially beneficial it can be.

The Great Disconnect: Grid Rejection & the Rise of Energy Independence

• When fewer people are on the grid, those who remain will have to pay more, resulting in higher electricity bills.
• The original power grid has more than met its purpose, and is starting to show “its age”. There needs to be more updates to it than the average person knows about to continue supporting growing populations and expanding communities.
• The power grid isn’t being used to its full potential, and the Public Utility Commissions (PUC), utility companies, and other relevant organizations need to work together to maximize the grid’s capabilities.
• Electricity prices continue to skyrocket, making electricity unaffordable, forcing people to leave the communities they’ve lived in their whole lives. This is a significant part of our current cost-of-living crisis, and we are proud to be a part of an industry actively fighting to mitigate it, not just to “survive”, but because we recognize the people affected and not only the revenue loss or potential. The solar industry is a people industry that wants to help its communities grow and prosper with them.

The Equity Equation: Can Solar Lead When DEI Faces Backlash?

• Diversity isn’t just race, ethnicity, or gender. It’s also about the way of thinking. 
• DEI isn’t just the right thing to do but also a wise decision. The workforce is growing, with more women and people of color. Therefore, adapting to what’s to come is important for the growth of companies and organizations. 
• Solar energy means leaving the world a better place, and DEI helps us make sure everyone is included in that world. 

The Rate Debate: Customer-Owned Solar & the Future of Net Metering

• This panel discussed the ongoing debate regarding net metering and the value of customer-owned solar while examining utility concerns about the current bill. 
• Co-ops and municipalities are frustrated with the big systems that don’t use all their energy and instead store excess energy, treating the utility provider as a bank to get checks. 
• Solar companies face solar access fees, and to avoid drawing from the grid to keep the energy clean, a larger system is needed. 

Additionally, this year’s conference paid tribute to Melissa Hortman, who served as the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives and was a dedicated advocate for the solar industry. In recognition of her significant contributions, MnSEIA renamed one of their prestigious awards in her honor, ensuring that her legacy will continue to live on.