The Cleantech Open is reportedly the largest cleantech accelerator program in the world. It conducts regional cleantech startup competitions which then lead to a national (US) competition, the Cleantech Open Global Forum. The winners of the Midwest regional competition were recently announced. 3 startups moved on to the Cleantech Open Global Forum, … [continued]
Two weeks ago, I listened – incredulously – to Minnesota’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, suggest that solar energy offers its ratepayers no value as an environmental hedge against carbon emissions or as a price hedge against natural gas fuel price fluctuations. See and share the infographic related to this post … [continued]
Originally published on Rocky Mountain Institute. By Jesse Morris Clean energy advocates are almost universally guilty of a certain level of reverence for Germany—myself included. Often heard are declarations such as, “Of course we can transition to renewable energy in the U.S.—just look at the Germans!” or “Did you know … [continued]
It’s an issue of national debate, but one unexpected state – Minnesota – is engaging in a formal process for determining the methodology for setting the value of solar. As the first multi-utility process, it’s likely to set a precedent nationwide for what the “value of solar” will mean and … [continued]
Five months ago, one of the country’s ten largest electric utilities told regulators in Minnesota that it needed three new natural gas power plants to handle peak energy demand. This week, the same company’s Colorado division announced plans to use more solar power because it is cost competitive with gas. … [continued]
This article first published on the Clean Energy Resource Teams blog by Joel Haskard Monday, September 9 at 6:30pm Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association will be welcoming community members and interested Minnesotans to the dedication of their first Solar Community project. It will be at WH’s headquarter facilities at 6800 Electric Drive, Rockford, … [continued]
The growing effects of climate change make adaptation more important every day, but without accurate data to guide planning, government action risks being ineffective or insufficient.
That’s where a new interactive map from the University of Michigan comes into the picture, combining economic, infrastructure, and population data for 225 counties in the Great Lakes region.
Halogen, CFLs, LEDs, Watts, Lumens—what’s the difference? What’s best? We’ve got you covered! Lighting a typical Minnesota home accounts for about 10 percent of the energy needed to power one’s home. One of the best ways to reduce your electricity bill is to replace traditional incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY … [continued]
Original post published on CleanEnergyResourceTeams.org In 2009, when the City of Saint Paul received a substantial Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) from the U.S. Department of Energy, city leaders wanted to implement high-profile projects that demonstrated the potential for energy efficiency and renewable energy across the state of … [continued]
Xcel Energy, billed as America’s top wind energy company, has announced that it proposes to “significantly expand its wind power production to reduce customer costs, protect against rising and volatile fuel prices, and benefit the environment.” The move is set to expand their overall wind capacity by 30% and is … [continued]
