Southwest Journal - Bakken Museum plans sustainable electricity exhibits with grant

Southwest Journal: Story by Dylan Thomas

WEST CALHOUN — The Bakken Museum in January was awarded a grant to plan new “green stations” exhibits to teach visitors about sustainable electric power.

The $2,500 grant was one of 55 Minnesota Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) seed grants announced Jan. 13. The grants, funded through the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s Office of Energy Security are meant to promote energy efficiency, clean energy, education and research in the state.

Bakken Deputy Director for Programs Kelly Finnerty said the award would pay for a feasibility study of renewable energy projects at the museum, including new exhibits. The museum emphasizes the science of electricity and magnetism, and new exhibits would highlight both practical and artistic uses of sustainable electric power, Finnerty said.

Indoor and outdoor exhibits may be developed through partnerships with artists who incorporate solar and wind energy into their work.

“We’re just beginning to research the artists who do this kind of work,” she said.

As envisioned, the projects would be “educational for our visitors and really get people excited about the beauty of using alternative energy sources,” she added.

Finnerty said the grant also would help Bakken staff plan for new interpretive materials for existing exhibits that feature sustainable sources of electricity. Grant funds also will be put to more practical uses, such as developing a plan for a new museum sign powered by solar energy, she said.

The CERTs project, launched in 2003, is a public-private partnership that includes the University of Minnesota, several nonprofits, state and local government and citizens across the state. Regional teams work with residents in seven regions of the state to implement local clean energy projects.

The Bakken Museum is named for electrical engineer and Medtronic co-founder Earl Bakken, developer of an early pacemaker model. For information on visiting the Bakken, 3537 Zenith Ave. S., visit thebakken.org.

Learn more about CERTs at http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org.