Community Solar Subscriptions & Green Power Purchasing Programs

In this webinar, presented live on February 16, 2022, we learned all about city procurement for solar subscriptions and green power purchasing programs for your community. 

Agenda: 

9:00am - Welcome and Introductions

9:15 - Peter Lindstrom, CERTs Manager of Public Sector & Community Engagement - UMN Extension RSDP

• Overview of Community Solar Gardens and Green Power Purchasing options

9:25 - Timothy Denherder-Thomas, General Manager - Cooperative Energy Futures

9:45 - Jen McLoughlin, Sustainability Specialist - City of Woodbury

• Community Solar Gardens case study

10:10 - Travis Schmidt, General Manager - Moorhead Public Service

• City energy portfolio 
• Capture the Sun program
  
  

10:30 - Lissa Pawlisch, CERTs Statewide Director - UMN Extension RSDP

• Recent changes to and what's on the horizon for Community Solar Gardens and low income Minnesotans

10:45 - Q&A and Open Discussion

11:00am - Close

View the workshop recording: 

View the slides and additional materials:

Resources:  

• Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs)
• Solar Gardens
• Green Pricing - buy renewable energy from your utility
• Tools & Guides
• Guide to Purchasing Green Power (2018, US DOE, EPA, WRI, CRS, NREL)
• Xcel Energy 
• Renewable Energy Programs (Renewable*Connect, Solar*Rewards, Windsource, etc.)
• Cooperative Energy Future - Community Solar
• Moorhead Capture the Wind Success Story (CERTs, 2004)
• City of Moorhead Sustainability
• Just Solar Coalition

Best Practice Actions related to this topic: 

• 15.2 - Purchase energy used by city government - via the municipal utility, green tags, community solar garden, 3rd party - with a higher renewable percentage than required by Minnesota law.
• 26.2 Promote resident/business purchases and/or generation of clean energy by:
• a. Promoting a local utility's green power purchasing program that allows residents/businesses to order/buy new renewable energy.
• b. Creating and sharing a map of the community’s solar resource and/or linking to the Minnesota Solar Suitability App.
• c. Connecting residents/businesses with the Solar Directory for potential installers.
• d. Hosting a community-wide solar bulk-buy program or campaign (also called "solarize" programs). 
• 26.4 Support a community solar garden or help community members participate in a community solar project by:
• a. Serving as a host site for a community solar garden.
• b. Facilitating development, by the municipal utility or other entity, of a community solar garden for residents.
• c. Participating in a community solar garden to ensure accessibility and availability to low-income residents.

Register for upcoming GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations workshops here. You do not need to be a GreenStep community to attend.

 Visit the GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations program website at www.mngreenstep.org.