Clean Energy Resource Teams

QUESTION

Are any programs available to fund transmission interconnection studies and wind studies for C-BED projects?

ANSWER

Yes, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Office of Energy Security has a Rural Wind Energy Development Revolving Loan Fund. The purpose of the Rural Wind Energy Development Revolving Loan program is to provide financial assistance to owners of eligible community-based wind energy projects for wind studies and transmission interconnection studies.

Read on to learn more!

In April 2008, the Minnesota Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) received over 90 submissions for this year’s Request for Proposals to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. This represents nearly a twofold increase in the amount of proposals submitted for spring of 2008, and attests to the tremendous wealth of clean energy projects happening in communities across the state.

Each of the six greater Minnesota steering committees (NE, NW, Central, WC, SW, SE) reviewed the proposals submitted in their region, and through a rigorous process selected 37 projects that highlight a variety of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. CERTs staff wish to commend our steering committee members for all the hard work and many hours of volunteer time they put into this effort.

Many land owners across the state have been approached recently with offers for wind energy land leases, leading the Northwest, Southeast, and West Central Regional Clean Energy Resource Teams to hold meetings in June where they discussed the ins and outs of land leases for wind development.

The meetings helped to educate the many attendees on wind rights and development choices, on how to ensure you get a fair agreement, on your options, about where to access resources for advice, and on some sense of the big picture and why this is an opportunity.

Read on to view the resources from the meetings, including notes and presentations. The more you know, the more you and your community have to gain!

Brooten, MN – Jerry and Linda Jennissen of Brooten hosted a field day today on their 200 acre, 160 cow dairy farm, featuring a methane digester project that recently became operational.

“We are excited to have begun this project and we think that this is only the beginning of trying to create another revenue stream for our farm, to create clean, renewable energy and make our manure product more environmentally friendly. We think that digesters may be a part of the future for most livestock farms and it is exciting to be at the forefront. It is has been a very challenging but exciting project and we look forward to showcasing it,” said Jerry Jennissen, farm owner.

The methane digester project was part of a pilot-scale research demonstration project, funded by the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. Research partners included the Minnesota Milk Producers Association, the Minnesota Project, Stearns County Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and the University of Minnesota Departments of Applied Economics and Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering.

On Monday, June 16, 2008 from 1-3pm The Minnesota Department of Commerce gave a web seminar on the Phase 1 results of their Minnesota Dispersed Renewable Generation (DRG) Study. The purpose of the webinar was to inform the public of the first phase results, key findings, and conclusions. The study team gave a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the DRG Phase I report to the MN Public Utilities Commission.

This blog post should allow you to:
1. Understand Dispersed Generation
2. Watch and listen to the DG webinar presentation
3. Get a summary of important slides
4. Learn how to get more info and provide comments on the Study

CREBs in Brief

 
The Clean Renewable Energy Bond (CREB) program is administered by the Internal Revenue Service and provides bond authorization for public entities on a competitive basis for renewable electricity projects. The benefit of the CREB program is that public entities receive the bonds at “zero” percent interest. The revenue or cost savings from the renewable electricity systems are utilized to pay off the bonds.

The program was initially authorized via the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and designed as an alternative to the Production Tax Credit (PTC)—which can be utilized by private renewable energy developers and investor-owned utilities—to be used by cooperative electric and public power utilities. Beyond these utilities other eligible entities include schools, local governments, tribal governments. The program has provided two rounds of bonding authorization—610 projects during the first round and 312 projects in the second round.

Dan Thiede live-blogs this session at the Minnesota Green Communities third annual statewide GREEN BY DESIGN Conference. View all conference presentations here.

Presenter: Pat Huelman, University of Minnesota Cold Climate Housing Program

Pat tells us how—if we can sharpen our pencil of building science, and better engineer—we can get better building performance while spending less money.

Dan Thiede live-blogs this session at the Minnesota Green Communities third annual statewide GREEN BY DESIGN Conference

R.T. Rybak highlights Minneapolis and Minnesota steps toward green development, and gets us all fired up, Ellen Anderson discusses legislative intiatives and the merging of economic and social justice issues with energy issues, and Van Jones talks about building a green economy for all.

Dan Thiede live-blogs this session at the Minnesota Green Communities third annual statewide GREEN BY DESIGN Conference. View all conference presentations here.

Facilitator: Dane Smith, Growth & Justice, former Star Tribune writer
Panelists: Ellen Anderson, Senator, State of Minnesota | Edward A. Garvey, MN Office of Energy Security, Department of Commerce | Barb Thoman, Transit for Livable Communities

The panel will review the recommendations of the Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group, provide updates on policy actions responding to those recommendations, and discuss their implementation. There will be plenty of time for discussion!

Dan Thiede live-blogs this session at the Minnesota Green Communities third annual statewide GREEN BY DESIGN Conference. View all conference presentations here.

Presenters: Russ Adams, Alliance for Metropolitan Stability | John Bailey, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund | Michael Haynes, Green Broker & Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota | Lynn Hinkle, Retired UAW leader, Ford Plant Green Redevelopment | Karen Monahan, Sierra Club & EJAM

How can Minnesota Communities continue to grow and develop while maintaining a low carbon footprint?