On Nov. 2, North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem filed a lawsuit against the state of Minnesota. He claimed that our restrictions on coal-fired electricity discriminate against North Dakota companies, violating the U.S. ConstitutionâÄôs interstate commerce clause.

North DakotaâÄôs coal industry has worked to undermine MinnesotaâÄôs climate change policies since the Next Generation Energy Act was passed in 2007.

In former Gov. Tim PawlentyâÄôs landmark bill, Minnesota legislators agreed that we should start reducing our fossil fuel emissions that drive climate change. Since coal-fired power plants are MinnesotaâÄôs number one source of climate-changing pollution, the law bans new fossil-fuel power plants in Minnesota. It also restricts imports of electricity from new fossil-fuel plants in other states unless there are equal reductions in carbon dioxide elsewhere.

These restrictions are North DakotaâÄôs true complaint. In order to secure a market for its coal, North Dakota is trying to keep Minnesota mired in the fossil-fuel past instead of moving toward a future powered by clean, renewable energy. But with its wide-open plains and vast wind energy resources, North Dakota would be ideally suited to supply low-carbon energy to its eastern neighbor.

I hope that protection of our health and environment beat corporate interests.