The report, “Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Minnesota: 1990 -2016,” found that Minnesota’s overall GHG pollutants declined 12 percent relative to 2005 levels but the state missed the Next Generation Energy Act’s goal of 15 percent emissions reduction by 2015.

Minnesota’s Next Generation Energy Act, which was passed in 2007, aims to reduce statewide GHG emissions across all sectors producing those emissions to at least 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2015, then 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 and finally 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050.

The report, which is a biennial report to the legislature, said emissions from the transportation sector was the biggest source of GHG emissions in Minnesota as emissions from electricity generation had reduced significantly. It noted that emissions from the transportation sector had fallen 8 percent from 2006 to 2016 while emissions from electricity generation had fallen 29 percent during the same period.

“Supporting and promoting the use of EVs, supporting the use of cleaner transportation fuels (such as biofuels), encouraging the use of public and multimodal transportation, and mindful transportation planning are crucial elements in decreasing GHGs from transportation,” it said.

In addition, the report said the state government’s future initiatives to reduce emissions within its own agencies includes the use of more biofuels in medium and heavy-duty vehicles.

The full report can be read here