Major Victory in the Midwest: The Minnesota Sustainable Building 2030 Bill

The Architecture 2030 Challenge is now law in the state of Minnesota.

On May 8, Governor Tim Pawlenty signed the Minnesota Sustainable Building 2030 bill, which requires that buildings receiving state funding meet energy efficiency targets of the 2030 Challenge with a 60% reduction in 2010, 70% in 2015, 80% in 2020 and 90% in 2025.

Minnesota proponents of the Architecture 2030 Challenge testified in support of the bill to the Minnesota Senate and House Energy Committees. Architecture 2030 would like to thank Perkins+Will, The Weidt Group, Studio 2030, Minnesota Center for Energy and Environment, the University of Minnesota Center for Sustainable Building Research, LHB Architects, Architectural Alliance, the Green Institute, Indigenous Environmental Network and the many other individuals and organizations whose efforts helped secure this historic legislation.

Minnesota now joins the ranks of California, Illinois, Dallas, Santa Barbara, Richmond, Albuquerque, the Federal Government and others who are working to implement the 2030 Challenge targets. The Minnesota Sustainable Building 2030 Bill was authored by Representative Bill Hilty and Senator Yvonne Pretner Solon and co-authored by Senators Scott Dibble, Dave Senjem, Ellen Anderson and Julie Rosen and Representatives Jeremy Kalin, Brita Sailer, Kate Knuth, Alice Hausman, Bob Gunther, Matt Dean, Linda Slocum, Maria Ruud and David Bly.

View the Sustainable Building 2030 bill online (SF 2706 and HF 3401).