Clean Energy Resource Teams

Our Mission

Northwest CERT set a goal to achieve a 1% per year improvement in energy conservation for the next 10 years and a goal for a 1% per year increase in renewable energy generation for the next 10 years with a focus on efforts that would provide generation opportunities within Northwestern Minnesota. The team feels that these two goals give the region something to strive for and allow it to target its initiatives on local communities that can then realize the benefits of local generation.

“Our on-farm biofuel project was jump-started thanks to an initial grant from CERTs. Linda Kingery, Lissa Pawlisch, and Joel Haskard have been most helpful in assisting us in making connections and providing useful suggestions.”
Paul Porter, Professor,
University of Minnesota

The Northwest region includes Kittson, Roseau, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Pennington, Red Lake, Norman, Mahnomen, Polk, Clearwater, Beltrami, and Clay Counties.

Get Involved!

Join Us! Attend a meeting or keep up to date.
Contacts, Events, Get Involved, or Ask an Expert.

Meeting Notes

• June 18, 2008 (presentations)
• February 5, 2008
• July 31, 2007
• April 25, 2007
• November 2, 2006
• April 27, 2006

Project Focus

NW CERT has three project priorities: Ground source heat pumps, Small-scale biomass power plants, and Exploring biogas digesters at agricultural processing facilities.

Current Projects

• UM Crookston: Farm-Scale Biodiesel Oil Press
• Bemidji State University: Campus Greenhouse Gas Inventory
• Giziibii RC&D: Power from the Prairie – Value of Biomass
• Northland Community and Technical College, East Grand Forks: Wind Resource Testing
• Crookston Union Building Efficiency Improvements
• Concordia Language Villages: Modeling Sustainability – Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Production
• Pembina Trail RC&D: Veggie Oil as On-Farm Fuel
• See full list for all regions >>

Case Studies

Past projects in the Northwest Region

Publications

Strategic Energy Plan: Each regional team spent considerable time mapping regional energy use and identifying clean energy opportunities in its Regional Strategic Energy Plan. Read all the details on the Regional Plans page.

Farm-scale Oil Extraction & Sustainable Uses for Oil and Meal – UMN RSDP and Partners (Summer 2008)

Presentations

Regional Presentations