Biofuels Blog Posts
Bringing you news about clean energy projects and opportunities happening across the state. Tell your story.
 Subscribe via RSS feed |
Dan Thiede
Tue, 05/15/2012 - 9:24am
CERTs is pleased to announce that next Monday, May 21st we will open a request for proposals (RFP) for technical assistance to catalyze community energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. So stay tuned for that announcement, or sign up for email updates so that you don’t miss it.
Each region has $10,000 to award. Each team’s Steering Committee will make its own selections and project funding levels will vary by region. Projects can apply for up to the full $10,000 in their region, but historically regions have funded multiple projects in each region. See more information below about previously funded projects.
We awarded grants in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012. The amount varies depending on the year and the project.
All projects
This map includes all projects ever funded by CERTs, color-coded by the year the award was...
Dan Thiede
Tue, 05/15/2012 - 8:04am
Before your calendar starts filling up for February 2013, we want to make sure you mark off February 20-21, 2013 (a Wednesday and Thursday) so that you can join us for the fifth biennial Clean Energy Resource Teams statewide conference!
What can you expect? We can’t tell you exactly what the agenda will look like, but we do know that the event will be an exploration and celebration of successful energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, and that it will be a coming together of hundreds of amazing people who are working to create a clean energy future in their communities and beyond. After the conference you will return home and to work with tangible and practical information for planning projects, as well as great connections to help you move forward and continue collaborating....
Susan Waughtal
Fri, 05/04/2012 - 11:59am
There are more people than you’d think living off the grid in the Southeast CERT Region, and we’re happy to share their awesome stories!
Adrienne Tryan and Adam Kidney live off the grid in a small cabin they built from reclaimed materials
The Huelskamps live in a solar- and wind-powered geodesic dome on an organic farm that is off the grid and power their car and tractor with biodiesel fuel
The Dedens retrofitted their woodland home to achieve a carbon-neutral lifestyle through major energy efficiency improvements and a grid-tied solar array
We are proud to note that Rich Huelskamp and Joe Deden have also been long-time members of the Southeast CERT steering committee!
Read about the motivations and challenges for these three southeast Minnesota families striving to live more...
Chris May
Wed, 05/02/2012 - 12:19pm
On May 15 (only two weeks away!) the Renewable Materials Summit: Markets for Building the Biorefinery will take place in Fargo, North Dakota. The event will highlight and explore the companies and markets that are driving opportunities for returns on investment that leverage the emerging bioeconomy.
We spoke with Tim Welle, Program Manager with The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota, to learn a little bit more. You can click here to register for the event or learn more.
Joel Haskard: What can people expect to learn at the Renewable Materials Summit?
Tim Welle: Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the emerging biobased economy. The world is changing for manufacturers and original equiptment manufacturers (OEMs) as petroleum prices increase and consumer demand shifts toward safer materials. Local...
Robert Moffitt
Wed, 03/21/2012 - 3:39pm
Among the shiny new cars and trucks on display at the recent 2012 Twin Cities Auto Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center was a new exhibit, the Biodiesel Green Room.
Sponsored by the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council and staffed by Minnesota soybean farmers, MEG Corp and the American Lung Association in Minnesota’s Clean Air Choice program, the Biodiesel Green Room featured 16 “green vehicles” from various automakers, including two clean diesel vehicles.
Auto Show attendees learned more about Minnesota’s first-in-the-nation biodiesel requirement, how B5 biodiesel is helping to clean our air (the emissions equivalent of removing 55,000 vehicles from MN roads every year), and how much cleaner today’s diesel engines and fuels are, compared to those used in the past. You can watch a story on the Biodiesel Green...
Nancy Kelly
Mon, 02/06/2012 - 8:59am
The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) Twin Cities Chapter is pleased to offer for the first time two $1,000 scholarships to students planning to pursue of a career in Energy Engineering or Energy Management.
The AEE Foundation Scholarship program was established to encourage qualified practitioners in energy engineering and energy management to further education in these fields by awarding scholarships. To date, the Foundation has awarded over $600,000 in funds nationally for use by 1,115 outstanding students.
Scholarships are available to candidates obtaining their undergraduate or graduate degrees who are enrolled in an accredited college or university focusing on energy engineering or energy management.
A personal recommendation from a faculty member of the school that the student is attending that describes the student’s academic standing, character and financial need...
Joel Haskard
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 5:26pm
As we kick off 2012, we are excited to announce the projects awarded CERTs seed grants in each of the seven Minnesota CERTs regions. Each region awarded $10,000 worth of seed grants, catalyzing energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across the state. The funding is provided by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources.
There were 27 seed grants awarded in total, across a broad spectrum of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. Many projects also include components of education, outreach and community building, and research. Read on for all of the details! Thanks to everyone who submitted a proposal. To learn more about past funded projects, our CERTs-Supported Projects page.
Download a PDF with all projects >>...
Dan Thiede
Mon, 01/23/2012 - 12:58pm
USDA Rural Development is seeking applications to provide assistance to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to complete a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Funding is available from USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill.
The REAP program is designed to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy costs and consumption and meet the nation’s critical energy needs. For 2012, USDA has approximately $25.4 million in budget authority available to fund REAP activities, which will support at least $12.5 million in grants and approximately $48.5 million in guaranteed loans.
USDA is accepting the following applications:
Renewable energy system and energy efficiency improvement grant applications and combination grant and...
Brittney Bray
Wed, 12/14/2011 - 4:44pm
This article, by By Thomas Content, originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Midwest can seize an advantage when it comes to developing homegrown energy on the farm, a new report says. The Chicago Council on Global Affairs says the region’s abundance of farms can point the region toward procuring more energy from waste streams—whether that means from grease and oil from restaurants, corn stalks and cobs left over from the corn crop, or manure from dairy farms.
“Cellulosic biofuels represent a potentially substantial economic opportunity for the Midwest and could also have a larger impact on the U.S. energy supply mix,” the report says.
Wisconsin’s a national leader in the production of energy from manure from dairy cows—...
Dan Thiede
Fri, 11/11/2011 - 12:42pm
The Reuben Youngerberg Memorial Biodiesel Essay Scholarship is given in memory of Reuben Youngerberg, and in honor of his son, Mike Youngerberg, senior director of field services at Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and huge supporter of biodiesel.
The scholarship is open to all Minnesota high school seniors who submit a 1,000-word essay on biodiesel to us by March 30, 2012. The award for the winning essay is $1,600, with a second place scholarship worth $500. The scholarship is sponsored by the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, with support from the National Biodiesel Board, MEG Corp, and Renewable Energy Group, Inc.
Click here to learn more and submit your essay >>
Pages
Clean Energy Resource Teams