Clean Energy Economy Minnesota

What it reported doing in 2024

State policy analysis: ceem, working alongside its business members, built upon the historic and unprecedented 2023 Minnesota legislative session for climate and energy policy with significant policy wins and forward progress in 2024. Heading into the 2024 legislative session, ceem's four priority policy objectives were 1.) advance smart implementation 2.) permitting reform 3.) expand transmission and 4.) support increased and timely interconnection. Clean energy permitting reform was one of the most substantial energy and economic development policies passed in the 2024 legislative session. Permitting reform is essential to Minnesota's law of achieving 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. Ceem played a crucial role in educating policymakers resulting in the passage of the energy infrastructure permitting act that streamlines the permitting process for large-scale energy projects at the Minnesota public utilities commission (puc). This legislation reduces bureaucratic redundancies and improves efficiencies, facilitating the timely development of wind, solar, and battery storage projects. These reforms are vital for overcoming the largest roadblock to renewable energy deployment, demonstrating Minnesota's commitment to embracing the clean energy transition and unlocking its full potential. Another policy win for the organization relieves grid congestion and requires utilities to evaluate grid enhancing technologies (gets) on highly congested lines. Gets include dynamic line rating, power-flow control devices, and analytical tools that reduce the need for new infrastructure and support the integration of renewables and maximize the grid's current capacity. Another essential piece of energy infrastructure completed in this session with ceem's education efforts included allowing the co-location of utility and high-voltage transmission infrastructure in existing transportation corridors, like highways and interstates, to speed development that is critical for the clean energy transition. Additional policies that ceem led and/or supported that were passed into law included updates to commercial property assessed clean energy (c-pace), interconnection reforms for distributed generation, updates to streamline the implementation of Minnesota's energy conservation and optimization act (eco), an additional $50 million in funding for solar*rewards over the next ten years, along with workforce development and geothermal legislation to expand markets and support deployment. The organization's two annual reports, the 2024 Minnesota energy factsheet and the 2024 clean jobs midwest - Minnesota report contained timely and detailed information on clean energy markets and jobs that were utilized by the walz-flanagan administration, policymakers, media, and the public. Data and recommendations contained in the publications provided crucial facts and information utilized in conversations and presentations with policymakers, decision-makers, and the public to hasten the transition to a low- and zero-carbon future in Minnesota.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 87.9%; rating input score 88
• Program expense ratio: 84.6%; rating input score 85
• Fundraising efficiency: $21.69 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -3.9%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.12; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.38; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.2%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 20.6% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 20.1% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 0.6% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings