Release Date:
06/30/2008
TC Daily Planet, Jennifer Holder
MINNEAPOLIS – On June 11 a group of about twenty energy conservation enthusiasts huddled together inside Birchwood Café in Minneapolis for an environmental happy hour. Green Drinks is held on the second Wednesday of the month, and is hosted for the summer by the Metro Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) Network, coordinated by The Green Institute. Metro CERTs Coordinator Diana McKeown said that the goal of energy-themed happy hour “is to have speakers share actions and examples you can take to be part of the solution.” Read the full article >>
The Clean Energy Resource Teams are a joint program of the University of Minnesota Regional
Sustainable Development Partnerships, the Southwest Regional Development Commission, the Minnesota
Project, Minnesota Department of Commerce, and the Green Institute. The CERTs program brings together
team members from diverse backgrounds including farmers, utility representatives, state and federal
government staff, educators and academics, small business owners, members of non-profit and environmental
groups as well as individuals interested in energy issues. Together they work to identify and implement
community-scale energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across the state. Major funding is
provided by Minnesota Department of Commerce, The Blandin Foundation, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency,
University of Minnesota Institute for Renewable Energy and the Environment, University of Minnesota
Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, and U.S. Department of Energy.
