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Minnesota's Solar Garden Program Could Be Renamed After Melissa Hortman

Following an emotional House Energy Finance and Policy Committee hearing on Tuesday, Rep. Patty Acomb sponsored HF 610 to rename Minnesota's community solar program for Melissa Hortman.
Known for authoring Minnesota's 2013 solar laws, Hortman helped start the Community Solar Garden program, praised by advocates for her leadership.
Community solar lets subscribers share a local system's output and receive credits on their electric bills, supporting low- and moderate-income Minnesotans and enabling thousands of renters, small businesses and schools to participate.
Approved in committee this past week, the bill now heads to the House floor, still needing Senate approval and Gov. Walz's signature; it has more than 30 lawmakers signed on.
The suspect, Vance Boelter, has been indicted on six counts and entered a not guilty plea, prompting calls for increased security at the Minnesota Capitol after the June 14, 2025, shootings of Hortman and others.

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Community Solar Garden program to be named after ‘solar godmother’ Melissa Hortman

ST. PAUL — Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, affectionately known as the “solar godmother” of Minnesota, will have a community solar garden program named in her honor, after an emotional hearing in the House Energy Finance and Policy committee on Tuesday. As chair of the committee, Hortman was known for her passion for clean energy and was beloved by clean energy advocates and organizations. She authored Minnesota’s solar energy standard and comm…

22 hours ago·Cherokee County, United States

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