About

Mission & Focus Areas

We help Minnesotans build clean energy

OUR MISSION

The Clean Energy Resource Teams connect individuals and communities in Minnesota to the resources they need to identify and implement community-based clean energy projects.

HOW WE WORK

speaking in an agrivoltaic field

We meet people where they are

No matter where they live and work in Minnesota or where they are along their clean energy journey.

Filling bags with energy efficiency resources

We convert learning into doing

Our pragmatic, cooperative, and unbiased approach gets people up to speed, connected, and ready to act.

Group of people meeting

We strive toward inclusive access

We work to create opportunities for engagement and participation in clean energy for everyone.

OUR IMPACT

$1.98+ MILLION

awards in CERTs Seed Grants to 509 clean energy projects since 2006.

1.6 MILLION

people impacted through grants, events, and programs since 2009.

769 BILLION

BTUs of energy savings, which is nearly $9.4 million in energy costs since 2010.

7 REGIONS

CERTs staff and steering committee members work and live across the seven regions of Minnesota. They engage communities within their regions and inform our statewide work with their findings.

Staff:

Heidi Auel
Central CERT Coordinator
[email protected]

Steering Committee:

  • BJ Allen, JBJ World
  • Maren Butenhoff, Crosslake community member
  • Amy Collins, Missouri River Energy Services
  • Jane Eastes, Lakes Country Service Cooperative
  • Jon Fabre, Otter Tail Power Company
  • Gwe Gasco, 8th Fire Solar
  • Bridget Guiza, White Earth Tribal College
  • Steve Jorgenson, Central Regional Sustainable Development Partnership board
  • Mark Kaelke, West Central Initiative Foundation
  • Charlie Lippert, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
  • Molly Zins, U of M Central Regional Sustainable Development Partnership

Staff:

Diana McKeown
Metro CERT Director
612-278-7158
[email protected]

Steering Committee:

  • Kessa Andrews, Center for Energy and Environment; MPA Student in Sustainability
  • Melody Arteaga, Community Organizer
  • Sally Bauer, Hennepin County
  • Jamila Boudlali, City of Bloomington
  • Carmen Carruthers, Citizens Utility Board
  • Olivia Dorow Hovland, City of Coon Rapids 
  • Emma Ingebretsen, CenterPoint Energy
  • Denise Lindom, MN Department of Commerce
  • Annie Pottorff, City of St. Louis Park
  • Gerardo Roca, Center for Energy and Environment
  • Bill Sierks, Retired Environmental Manager & Attorney
  • Sofia Troutman, Xcel Energy
  • Kerry Wang, Nextera Analytics
  • Billy Weber, William Weber Consulting, LLC
  • Say Yang, Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy

Staff:

Nik Allen
Northeast CERT Coordinator
218-726-6480
[email protected]

Steering Committee:

  • David Abazs, U of M Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships
  • Karola Dalen, St. Louis County Administration
  • Sam Friesen, owner, sustainable design+build company
  • Jim Goodman, resort owner
  • Reno Gunderson, Kanabec County engaged resident
  • Emily Heiken, Minnesota Power/ALLETE
  • Joan Markon, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Community Services
  • Chris O’Brien, Cook County Local Energy Project (CCLEP)
  • Craig Wainio, City of Mountain Iron
  • Lora Wedge, Ecolibrium3 

Staff:

Anna Peterson
Northwest CERT Coordinator
218-281-8697
[email protected]

Steering Committee:

  • Chet Bodin, MN Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
  • Brandon Johnson, Otter Tail Power Company
  • Dan Juhl, Hybrid Renewables; SolarBank
  • Jordan Lutz, Bemidji State University
  • Donald Martodam, Northern Municipal Power Agency
  • Aaron Sigette, Otter Tail Power Company
  • Shannon Stassen, UMN Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships
  • Sami Trana, Headwaters Regional Development Commission
  • Cedar Walters, West Central Initiative
  • Taylor Wyum, Crookston Housing Development Authority

Staff:

Jennifer Lindahl
Southeast CERT Coordinator
507-258-8771
[email protected]

Steering Committee:

  • Jennyffer Barrientos, Growing Up Healthy (Northfield)
  • Sabri Fair, Region Nine Development Commission
  • Melissa Feine, Semcac
  • Brian Hammarsten, Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA)
  • Lauren Jensen, Destination Medical Center (DMC)
  • Annie Jurrens, Refill Goods
  • Mark Oeltjenbruns, AgriSun Energy and Repair
  • Briana Parr-Baker, Minnesota Valley Action Council
  • Andi Sutton, UMN Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships

Staff:

Nadya Bucklin
Southwest CERT Coordinator
[email protected]

Steering Committee:

  • Anne Dybsetter, UMN Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships
  • Cora Hoffer, Center for Rural Affairs
  • Eric (Rathman) L’Abbé, UMN Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, Energy Committee
  • Gene Metz, Nobles County Commissioner, Rural Minnesota Energy Board (RMEB)
  • Vince Robinson, Development Services, Inc.
  • Brianna Sanders, City of St. James
  • Logan Schrader, Minnesota State Energy Center of Excellence
  • Harold Stanislawski, Agriculture Utilization and Research Institute (AURI)

Staff:

Imani Emenyonu
West Central CERT Coordinator
320-203-6050
[email protected]

Steering Committee:

  • Talitha Anderson, City of Morris and The Morris Model
  • Syd Bauer, Morris Transit, Stevens County Organics, West-Central MN Climate Network, Mask Up Morris
  • Clovis Curl, Clean Up the River Environment (CURE)
  • Anne Dybsetter, UMN Regional Sustainable Development Partnership
  • Pete Kennedy, West Central Research and Outreach Center
  • Rachel Mitchell, Center for Energy and Environment
  • Griffin Peck, West Central Initiative
  • Kalley Pratt, Youth Eco Solutions (YES!)
  • Chris Toenjes, Missouri River Energy Services

WE SUPPORT

Your community-led clean energy ideas with CERTs Seed Grants, technical assistance for PACE and other financing opportunities, tools that will help you find the right incentives to pay for the projects your ideas produce.

WE ENGAGE

  1. Stories
    Discover the people across Minnesota who are solving problems with clean energy solutions.
  2. Events
    Find webinars, conferences, and gatherings where you can learn more about clean energy and connect with others.
  3. Job Board
    Explore the ongoing opportunities you could pursue in a clean energy energy career.

Stay in the loop on clean energy news!

We Help Guide Your Clean Energy Projects

Downloads

CERTs Fact sheet
CERTs Factsheet 2025
CERTs Region Map
2024 Annual Report
2023 Annual Report