Solar Tree Sculpture Lights Up The Night With LEDs In Minnesota
When you visit the Franconia Sculpture Park between Shafer and Taylors Falls, MN, a brightly-lit tree sculpture stands out, far away from any buildings.
Minnesota
Local Utilities Have Lost Local Control
The ways in which municipal and cooperative utilities procure power undermine the ethic of community service and self-reliance.
Honeywell To Install 138,000 Smart Meters In $15 Million Minnesota Smart Grid Project
Leading smart grid player Honeywell has announced it will install more than 138,000 smart grids in Minnesota in a smart grid project worth $15 million, in partnership with the state’s largest customer-owned electric cooperative, Connexus Energy.
Electric Vehicle Use Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity 61% Or More In Minnesota
Electric vehicle use in the state of Minnesota reduces greenhouse gas emissions (well-to-wheel carbon intensity) by at least 61%, according to a new analysis from the Great Plains Institute.
Minnesota Dedicates Largest Solar Farm In Midwest, Shutters Two Coal Plants
This week, the North Star solar farm north of Minneapolis – St. Paul began producing electrical power for the first time. North Star is the largest solar farm in the midwest and will supply enough electricity to power 20,000 homes. The 15,000 solar panel installation took about 6 months to construct after all the necessary permits were obtained from local land owners.
Wholesale Solar FiT Brings Australia 1 Step Closer To Distributed Grid
With the highest penetration of residential rooftop solar in the world, Australia is a testing ground for the role that distributed generators can play on the grid. Despite this fact, energy production incentives for rooftop solar systems are currently minimal or nil, leaving homes to try to maximise their solar … [continued]
Sunshine & Ownership: A Cooperative Solar Garden Blooms in North Minneapolis – Episode 34, Local…
Originally published on ilsr.org. When people pay their electric bill to an investor-owned utility such as Minnesota’s Xcel Energy, they are generating energy for themselves, but the profit and wealth accrues to the utility’s investors. But now, customers have an opportunity to buy in. Community solar programs are popping up … [continued]
Not Just Illegal, Targeting Solar Facilities With Fees Is Also Poor Policy
Originally published at ilsr.org. Should utilities be able to add special fees on customers that have solar or small wind installations? Not only is it against Minnesota state law, but in our recent comments to the state’s Public Utilities Commission, we explain how one-off fees on customers using distributed generation to … [continued]
In St. Peter, Minnesota, A Solar Fee Blossoms
Originally published on ilsr.org. This article was written by Matt Grimley, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance Energy Democracy initiative’s former Research Associate. He regularly published articles and reports on local, renewable energy solutions. St. Peter, Minnesota, home to 11,000 people, is nestled within the verdant hills of the Minnesota River Valley. The … [continued]
Bicycling & Transit News (Equitable Bikeshare, High-Speed Rail Ups & Downs, Uber Pay…)
Bicycles, trains, buses — they don’t get enough love. Here’s a rundown of some stories I’m sure you’ve missed, that I think are worth visiting. Bicycling Toward An Equitable Bikeshare System Taking It To The Streets, Portland Style Washington, D.C. Has New Contraflow Bike Lanes Blubel Crowdsource Navigation Device For Bicycle Riders (w/Video) … [continued]
