News

CERTs would like to recommend some resources for those looking for work in the clean energy industries in Minnesota. Minnesota-specific job boards that you should check include PCA’s NextStep and SEEK Job Listings, Minnesota Environmental Partnership Jobs List, and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Job Board.

The Office of Energy security has worked with Minnesota State Colleges and Univerities (MnSCU) to pull together a list of existing courses and workshops on conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Categories include: Workshops & Live Webinars; Online Courses; Custom Training Services; and Post-secondary education programs with green focus or green components.

The District 10 Como Community Council, which is now a Metro CERTs affiliate, is a nonprofit organization made up of elected, volunteer residents and community organizing staff that serve the Como neighborhood of St. Paul. Metro CERTs partnered with the District 10 Environment Committee in February of this year to hold a workshop on home energy efficiency upgrades.

Funding Will Speed Adoption of Efficiency and Renewable Energy Technologies WASHINGTON, DC – June 24, 2009 – U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced more than $204 million in Recovery Act funding to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in ten states.

Two new and helpful publications from the folks at Green For All and the Center on Wisconsin Strategy have just been released.

The Minnesota Office of Energy Security is providing periodic updates regarding the federal stimulus in Minnesota. We will be posting these updates on the CERTs blog. June/July News: Cities, counties and Indian tribes eligible for direct formula grants through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program must apply directly to the U.S.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) contains over $18 billion in energy efficiency funding that qualifying entities (primarily states, cities, and counties) can pursue. The primary objectives of this funding are to build jobs, save energy, and build energy efficiency infrastructure for the longer-term.

Overview: The Executive Committee of the ‘Renewable Energy Marketplace – An Alliance for Talent Development’ (MNREM) is requesting Proposals from businesses and organizations in the 36-county MNREM region.

 
So you’re convinced that NOW is the time to make energy efficiency and renewbale energy improvements and you’ve visited ENERGY STAR to learn about it.

John Myers – 06/10/2009 Duluth News Tribune The McQuade Road safe harbor just outside Duluth became the first solar-powered boat landing in Minnesota on Tuesday. Crews were bolting 2 kilowatts of solar panels on an I-beam to feed electricity into the Minnesota Power grid—hopefully enough to offset the power used by the restrooms and parking lot lights at the new landing on Lake Superior.

CERTs partner The Minnesota Project welcomes you to join us for a 90-Minute Introduction to the Biomass Crop Assistance Program. The webinar is free and will be held on June 25th, 2009 from 1:30-3:00pm CDT. Continue reading to learn more and register to participate on the web or in person.

Via Mankato Free Press (Prairie grass slated for biofuel use) For years, there has been talk and plans for converting grass to energy. Beginning this fall, several groups plan to actually do it. “We wanted to do something on the ground. We already have the fuel and we have an end user in place,” said Neal Feeken, renewable energy coordinator for The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota.

Via KARE 11 (Solar power gets boost from stimulus and new laws) and Star Tribune (Incentives giving solar projects a bright boost) State lawmakers, mayors, and industry executives gathered yesterday to announce legislation and federal recovery money coming out of this session targeted to renewable energy, especially solar power.

Financial Monitor – Closes 06/10/2009
The purpose of this position is ensure that the DOE Weatherization Program is in compliance with all applicable Federal and State requirements related to the fiscal and/or administrative functions of the program.

Do you have strong community organizing and facilitation skills, top-notch written and oral communications skills, and experience implementing effective communications strategies? Do you have a working knowledge of and experience with renewable energy and energy efficiency issues and projects? If you answered yes to these questions, we’d like to hear from you.

Why Bike Walk Week Gives Me Warm Fuzzies
Crossposted from the Transit for Livable Communities blog, by Katie Eukel, Communications Manager

It’s a rare day when I’m excited to get up at 4:00am. Bike/Walk to Work Day might be an exception. I was stationed at the Green Institute, helping to manage media outreach efforts for the morning.

Owatonna Public Utilities, in partnership with Austin Utilities, is the fourth utility in the country to use Positive Energy’s Conserve and $ave Home Energy Report program to allow their customers to compare their usage to neighbors whose homes are of comparable size, and make energy efficiency choices accordingly.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) contains over $18 billion in energy efficiency funding that qualifying entities (primarily states, cities, and counties) can pursue. The primary objectives of this funding are to build jobs, save energy, and build energy efficiency infrastructure for the longer-term.

WASHINGTON (CNN)—The House on Thursday passed a $6.4 billion school modernization bill that would commit funds for the construction and update of more energy-efficient school buildings. The measure will now move to the Senate for further review. The legislation, according to the House Education and Labor Committee, also makes schools part of the effort to revive the U.S.

The Green Institute, coordinator of Metro CERTs, and our friends at the Phillips Eco-Enterprise Center hosted our second annual Brake for Breakfast event today for Bike/Walk to Work Week. 273 people ate breakfast (probably more who forgot to sign in), many of them on the windy green roof, from 7-9am today—including Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak! See what one participant had to say.

SunChips and National Geographic have joined forces to create the Green Effect, an initiative to inspire individuals to spark a green movement in their communities.
YOU could be the one to make a difference in your community—for the planet! Submit a description of your Green Effect idea by June 8, 2009. Ten finalists will be announced July 7, 2009.

New IRS Incentives, From Cold to Hot
STILL looking for ways to lower your taxes? Greening your home means you can get more greenbacks in return. The stimulus plan approved by Congress in February offers tax credits for making your home more energy efficient.

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