Central CERT Tour: Carbon Credits & Renewable Energy

Release Date: 09/03/2008

Contact:
Joel Haskard, Co-Coordinator
Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs)
Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships
411 Borlaug Hall
1991 Upper Buford Circle
St. Paul MN 55108
P: 612-625-8759
F: 612-625-1268
haska004@umn.edu
www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org

Wadena Will Host Regional Meeting about Carbon Credits, Renewable Energy

 
WADENA, MN, September 2nd, 2008-Everyone is invited to join the Central Clean Energy Resource Team (CERTs) in Wadena for a tour and dinner to learn more about farm carbon sequestration and selling carbon credits as well as a variety of other renewable energy technologies. “Citizens across Minnesota are looking for ways to save energy or create local jobs and economic development through renewable energy, and the folks with Wadena Agricultural Alternatives are pioneers in the field of selling carbon credits,” says Joel Haskard, Co-Coordinator for CERTs. “We want folks to come out and learn about their accomplishments and share ideas and experiences; there are a lot of ways people can fight climate change as well as bring money into the local economy. We’re going to have people on hand that can talk about carbon credits, biofuels, wind and solar…And there will be a good dinner, too!”

Event details: Wednesday, September 10th, 2008 from 5:00-7:30pm

RSVP: The event is $10 (includes dinner). PLEASE RSVP online or with Joel Haskard 612-625-8759; haska004@umn.edu

Agenda

 
The tour begins at 850 Scheer Drive NE Wadena, MN 56482. (Directions: from Hwy 10, turn north onto Hwy 71 going into Wadena. In Wadena you will see a Pamida store to the west; directly across the Hwy is a gravel road, Scheer Drive, going to the east. Follow that to the end. For more information, please call Kent Scheer at 218-631-3084.

5:00pm: Tour Kent Scheer’s 60 acre farm to learn about the carbon sequestration work he has been doing. He is now selling carbon credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange.

5:45pm: Drive 5 minutes to the Village Emporium (114 Jefferson Street South, Wadena, MN 56482, 218-632-8455)

6:00pm: Dinner served: The coffee house will provide both coffee with snacks and dinner. Pasta, salad, garlic bread for dinner, coffee, lemonade or tea and fresh vegetable snacks for early appetizers. We will hear presentations from:

  • Kent Scheer, Del Moen, Dave Evert from Wadena Agricultural Alternatives .
  • Bob Schafer, Director of the Central Lakes Ag Center, will present on alternative biomass crops and how to convert them to energy.
  • Doil Williams will presentation on the cellulose method of generating biofuel (especially Butanol) and how that may work in the region.
  • Sarah Hayden with the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL) in Pine River will talk about their work with solar energy.
  • We also intend to have a small wind installer/dealer on hand to answer question about residential-scale wind turbines.

7:10pm: A brief “what is next?” conversation has been requested by Wadena Agricultural Alternatives to see if the CERT group have any suggestions to make about their various projects.

7:30pm: Meeting Adjourned

Click here for PDF version of press release.

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.