News

Metro CERT is excited to welcome three new members to our Steering Committee as we kick off 2021: Marisa Bayer, Gardyartu M. Freeman, and Bill Sierks. We asked them to introduce themselves, talk a bit about their background and interest in clean energy, and let us know what drew them to help guide our work. Welcome!

CJ Denney, a sophomore studying biology and environmental studies at Macalester College in Saint Paul, will be serving Minnesota communities as an intern with Metro CERT for the 2020-2021 academic year. "I’m excited to learn more about clean energy initiatives and how we can implement them in our very own communities."

On September 22, 2020, businesses in the Fergus Falls area and the organizations serving them were invited to learn about opportunities for saving money on energy bills, next steps to make projects happen, and funding for energy-saving upgrades. We heard speakers from Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, Otter Tail Power Company, and the Clean Energy Resource Teams. View a recap, webinar, and slides to see what you missed!

Rebecca Heisel joined the Great Plains Institute (GPI) electric vehicle crew in September as a Minnesota GreenCorps Member for an 11-month service term. In this position, Rebecca will provide one on one support and technical assistance to communities to help them with their initiatives related to electric vehicle adoption.

A handful of folks from Northwest Minnesota recently welcomed Ed Lohrenz of GEOptimize to share his insights on siting ground source heat pump or geoexchange systems. Ed focused on the most important elements to consider in system design and current industry trends. Shannon Stassen, Northwest CERT Coordinator, connected with Ed at the suggestion of our colleagues at Otter Tail Power Company who have worked with Ed on several projects.

Electric vehicle (EV) drivers want to travel longer distances without worrying about where they can recharge. Over the next few years, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will increase the state’s charging network by more than 2,500 miles using funds from the VW settlement to install 38 fast-charging stations in Greater Minnesota to help support the state’s growing EV market.

It seems likely that social distancing, in one form or another, is likely to be with us for some time. Given that inescapable fact, what are some of the tools and practices that are available to help ensure that Minnesota residents are able to continue to work, access healthcare, and participate in local governance? Might these tools and practices offer quality of life and environmental benefits that extend beyond confronting the current challenge of COVID-19? CERTs and the Minnesota GreenStep Program came together to examine these questions in a series of four webinars on telework, telehealth, and community engagement.

Metro CERT is excited to welcome four new members to its Steering Committee! We were able to have one in-person meeting with our newest members before the COVID-19 emergency got underway. As we welcome these new members, we asked them to introduce themselves, share how their lives have changed, and what they’re doing to adjust during this unprecedented time. Read on to learn about their diverse backgrounds, what drew them to clean energy and CERTs specifically, and a little-known fact about each of them. 
 

When the Clean Energy Resource Teams  and Great Plains Institute were wrapping up the Cities Charging Ahead! peer cohort in the summer of 2019—which produced several resources and tools to guide communities on their EV readiness journey—the big question was, “what next?” So when the opportunity came to pivot and support municipal utilities to become EV ready in order to further accelerate deployment of EVs across Minnesota, it seemed like the natural next step. Introducing: Powering Ahead with Vehicle Electrification (PAVE), which launched in mid-March.

The Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) and our partner, the Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) at University of Minnesota Extension, are delighted to welcome Marie Donahue to our team as our new Sustainability Storyteller. Marie will develop stories that highlight the champions and projects inspiring sustainability and clean energy action across Minnesota, and support a variety of RSDP and CERTs communications efforts.

Every year the Environmental Initiative Awards celebrate the people and projects working in partnership at the nexus of a healthy environment, a prosperous economy, and an equitable society. The 2020 recipients were announced today, and the Clean Energy Resource Teams and our many partners are honored to receive both of the awards in the Energy and Climate category for the Solar Possible and Cities Charging Ahead! efforts!

Is your local government or organization curious about how to increase your sustainable spend using state contracts? The State of Minnesota has new resources for you to check out! Guidance has been designed to help cities, counties, townships, and nonprofits (among others) increase the sustainability of their purchases and work toward sustainable spending goals.

We have never experienced a situation like this. Since CERTs began in 2003 we have always been about forging relationships as an essential pathway to advancing community-based clean energy. It would be naive of us not to recognize that in many ways, this forging relationships part is looking a little more complicated this week. I am at my kitchen counter writing this, and I imagine many of you will be reading this from home. I say all of this because we recognize that perhaps working on a clean energy project is simply not at the top of your to-do list right now, and we get it. The most important thing right now is to take care of yourself, your families, loved ones, friends, and neighbors following guidance from the CDC. And, with this awareness front and center, we want you to know we're still here to help you when the time is right.

Rochester, MN has kicked off its 2nd year of participation in the Minnesota Efficient Buildings Collaborative and is hoping to add 20 new buildings to the Sustainable Rochester Building Energy Benchmarking program for 2020. During 2019, 90 buildings, mostly public participated. Energy and water consumption for these buildings was tracked and compared to the national average of buildings with the same type of use. The 2019 buildings represent 11% of Rochester’s total energy use, and 5.6% of the city’s Green House Gas Emissions.

The State of Minnesota announced an open request for proposals (RFP) for a statewide, on-site solar PV master contract. All qualified solar developers are invited to submit proposals. This is a design-build contract program available for use by all Minnesota State agencies, local governments, schools, and more. The deadline for responses is March 27, 2020 at 3:00pm. We talked to Jordan Wente, Research Analysis Specialist with the State of Minnesota's Office of Enterprise Sustainability, to learn more about the opportunity. 

We're already diving into 2020 with a splash, but we thought it would be nice to reflect on 2019 and the ways CERTs was able to help Minnesotans build clean energy in 2019. Here goes!

The Northwest Clean Energy Resource Team (NW CERT) and University of Minnesota Extension Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (Northwest RSDP) are pleased to welcome longtime community leader Shannon Stassen as the new Program Associate for clean energy and resilient communities. In his new role, Stassen will work with local governments, nonprofits, foundations, and partners across Northwest Minnesota to connect local sustainability projects to research, education and resources at the University of Minnesota.

Dozens of community members came together at the Willmar Public Library on Saturday, December 7, 2019 to see a new clean energy documentary, hear from local speakers, and discuss ways to save energy and money.

Just as the Midwest has seen increases in on-site solar rooftop development, there’s been talk for several years about emerging solar technology as people become increasingly familiar with seeing roof-mount solar photovoltaic (PV). New on the horizon, through energy innovations from household names like Tesla and MIT, are things like Solar Skins and solar shingles, which are being included in conversations about the future of solar.

On October 10, over 90 people gathered for the 12th Annual Metro CERT Annual Event at the St. Louis Park Rec Center. The event included a keynote presentation from the City of Maplewood about their Re-Energize Maplewood Seed Grant, a panel of cities from the Cities Charging Ahead! electric vehicle (EV) cohort, a look at Minneapolis’ Green Cost Share program, and a glance at what’s on the horizon for Metro CERT. And of course, there was delicious food from Sonora Grill and lots of networking!

So you've been thinking about benchmarking your buildings, but you're not sure where to start, what information you need to collect, how long it'll REALLY take, and...what’s the point? Oh and what is B3 Benchmarking anyway? Well, you’re in luck! CERTs folks dug into B3 Benchmarking and offer a few considerations and resources for cities, counties, and schools wanting to tackle the energy management items on their to do list.