Juhl Wind Announces Wind Project for Winona County

Juhl Wind has entered into a development agreement with Winona County to design and build a 2 MW wind system to be sited near Altura, MN. The project will cost approximately $3.6 million and is planned to be completed by the end of the second quarter, 2009.

Marketwatch.com Story

Bringing Renewable Energy Home: Energy Policies To Maximize Energy Security And Economic Development

John Farrell has organized a conference here in Minnesota in early January to hear from national and international experts on renewable energy payments (a.k.a. feed-in tariffs). It will be also be a good opportunity to learn about legislative efforts in Minnesota and other Midwestern states to get this policy into place. Here are the details:

Bringing Renewable Energy Home:
Energy Policies To Maximize Energy Security And Economic Development
January 9, 2009 @ St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN

-- Feed-in tariff guru Paul Gipe gives the policy overview
-- National policy expert Wilson Rickerson illustrates the spreading wave of feed-in tariff legislation
-- Willi Voigt shares his experience with implementing feed-in tariffs in Germany and their stunning success

Other panel discussions and plenty of Q&A with the experts.

Only $85 to register before December 15th!
Click the link below for more information:
http://www.newrules.org/de/fitconference.html

Wind Developers Consider Goodhue County

Two corporations have proposed developing wind farms in Goodhue County. Goodhue Wind LLC (an affiliate of National Wind LLC) wants to build 40 turbines, generating 78 megawatts, to be operational in two years.

Geronimo Wind LLC has also proposed a 50 megawatt project with 20 to 30 turbines to begin construction in late 2010 or 2011. Story from Rochester Post Bulletin, 11/6/08.

Wind Farm Proposed in Steele County

Minnesota Municipal Power Agency has proposed building a 44 Megawatt wind farm in Steele County, near Bixby. The project would include about 30 turbines, which could provide the electricity needs for 14,000 homes. See complete story in Owatonna People's Press.

CERTs 2009 Conference Extends Earlybird Registration to Dec. 15th

CERTs 2009 Conference Extends
Earlybird Registration to Dec. 15th
& Announces Keynote Speakers

CERTs 2009 will take place on February 10-11, 2009 in St. Cloud. Earlybird registration has been extended through December 15,
so act quickly to take advantage of the savings!

Continue reading to learn more about our Keynote Speakers on the main day of the conference, February 11th.

CERTs 2009 Keynote Speakers

Randy Udall, Feb 11 Plenary Keynote Speaker
Randy, former director of the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE), is one of the nation’s leading activists in promoting energy sustainability. CORE's partnerships with electric utilities and local governments have led to remarkable accomplishments, including Colorado’s first solar energy incentive program, the world's first Renewable Energy Mitigation Program which has raised $7 million, and some of the most progressive green power purchasing programs in the country. Udall is co-founder of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil-USA.

Mary Hamann-Roland, Feb 11 Luncheon Speaker
Mary is the Mayor of the City of Apple Valley. Mary has spent her civic career fostering partnerships among individuals, communities, and organizations. Among other successful collaborations, she was very instrumental in the creation of the nationally renowned School of Environmental Studies. Mayor Hamann-Roland also currently serves as President on the Board of Directors for the League of Minnesota Cities and President of the Minnesota Mayors Association.

Kerri Miller, Feb 11 Legislative Forum Moderator
Kerri joined Minnesota Public Radio in June 2004 as host of Minnesota Public Radio's Midmorning and Talking Volumes, the joint book club of MPR, the Star Tribune and the Loft Literary Center. She has been a radio and television news reporter since 1981, serving as a political reporter for KARE-11 for several years. She has won numerous awards, including the Society of Professional Journalists National Achievement Award, Minnesota Broadcasters Award, the Associated Press Award and a Gracie award from the Association of Women in Radio and Television.

For more information about the Daylong Conference or In-Depth Workshops, please call Luke Ekelund at 651-789-3321 or e-mail lekelund@mnproject.org.

Register Now: www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org

Home Energy Forums --Solar Thermal

December 2, 2008 -- 7p.m.
Izaak Walton League Cabin
937 7th Ave NE
Free- Open to Public

Tom Thompson, owner of Pine Island Solar builds passive solar homes and does photovoltaic and solar thermal installations. He will be discussing design requirements, system sizing and expected performance of photovoltaic solar thermal installations at the April 7th forum.

Sponsored by the Rochester Izaak Walton League. Call 507-775-2814 for more information, or visit www.rochestermnikes.org.

Home Energy Forums--Wind Energy

March 3, 2009 -- 7p.m.
Izaak Walton League Cabin
937 7th Ave NE
Free- Open to Public

Rich Huelskamp has over 25 years supporting, educating and assisting homeowners, business owners and Minnesota's energy indsutry professionals. Rich has evaluated, recommended and verified building construction mechanical/electrical equipment and renewable energy systems for residential and industry customers. Rich will discuss the practical aspects of installing a home wind turbine.

Sponsored by the Rochester Izaak Walton League. Call 507-775-2814 for more information, or visit www.rochestermnikes.org.

Home Energy Forums - Geothermal

February 3, 2009 -- 7p.m.
Izaak Walton League Cabin
937 7th Ave NE
Free- Open to Public

Homeowners Kevin Schreuers and Brian Cook and installer Steve Johnson discuss their experiences choosing, installing and living with a geothermal heating and cooling system over the last couple years.

Speakers:
Steve Johnson, owner of Johnson Comfort Systems, installs geothermal heating and cooling systems in new construction and retrofits existing homes. Steve will discuss costs steps and payback of installing a geothermal system.

Brian Cook is a software engineer at Mayo Clinic who has an ongoinginterst in energy issues. This pormpted him ot upgrade the efficiency of his home and install a geothermal heating and cooling system in the fall of 2005.

Kevin Schreuers is a retired Mayo Clinic audiologist and on the board of the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center. He installed geothermal heating and air conditioning in the fall of 2006.


Sponsored by the Rochester Izaak Walton Leagoke. Call 507-775-2814 for more information, or visit www.rochestermnikes.org.

Home Energy Forums - Government and Utility Incentives for Alternative Energy

January 6,2009 -- 7p.m.
Izaak Walton League Cabin
937 7th Ave NE
Free- Open to Public

Minnesotans can tap into a number of green energy options for their homes,including solar PV, solar hot water and space heating, passive solar and active solar hot air heating, wind energy and energy efficiency. Learn how homeowners can take advantage of existing government and utility incentive programs. Learn about new policies under consideration in Minnesota that could greatly expand the use of renewable energy in Minnesota Homes.
Speakers:
Christopher Childs is a board member for the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society and conservation chair for the Sierra Club's North Star Chapter. He has installed 3 kW of solar photovoltaic system on his home in St.Paul.
Nancy Lange serves as the Izaak Walton League of America's Clean Air Program Coordinator.

Sponsored by the Rochester Izaak Walton League. Call 507-775-2814 for more information, or visit www.rochestermnikes.org.

Home Energy Forums - Solar Electric

December 2, 2008 -- 7p.m.
Izaak Walton League Cabin
937 7th Ave NE
Free- Open to Public

Tom Thompson, owner of Pine Island Solar builds passive solar homes and does photovoltaic and solar thermal installations. He will be discussing design requirements, system sizing and expected performance of photovoltaic systems in December and solar thermal installations at the April 7th forum.

Sponsored by the Rochester Izaak Walton League. Call 507-775-2814 for more information, or visit www.rochestermnikes.org.

CERTs 2009: Harnessing Resources & Teamwork for Minnesota’s Energy Future

The Third Clean Energy Resource Teams Conference
will be held in St. Cloud on February 10-11, 2009!

CERTs 2009: Harnessing Resources & Teamwork for Minnesota’s Energy Future will bring together over 500 Minnesotans who are blazing the paths to a clean energy future by working on energy efficiency and clean energy projects in their communities, thus accelerating our learning process together.

This conference could not come at a more important time. Our economy is hurting, energy prices are on the rise, and the impacts of global warming are becoming increasingly clear. Minnesotans of all stripes want to know what they can do. It just so happens that many of the solutions to our global climate crisis are also the ones that are going to help our economy and our communities thrive.

You can be a part of Minnesota’s clean energy future, and you can get energy efficiency and clean energy projects on the ground in your community! Whether you’re a farmer, utility representative, school staff, local official, student, business owner—or member of any community—there is a role for you to play. Learn what people are doing across the state, connect, and share resources.

This year’s event will start with optional In-Depth Workshops and an Evening Reception on February 10th followed by the Daylong Conference on the 11th. Wind, solar, biogas, efficient cooling, heating and lighting, and fuel-efficient cars will be discussed. We will hear from successful CERTs-supported projects, trailblazing green cities and schools, and we will learn the latest about green jobs, green manufacturing, and green investment & financing in Minnesota. Networking sessions will allow like-minded attendees to learn from one another, and a conference documentary and online discussion forum will allow us to harness our collective resources and share them beyond the event.

Register! Earlybird registration is now open! Click here for more details and to register now. Learn more! Check out our agenda to see the workshops and sessions that will be offered.

Energy Use Decline

National news is reporting that electricity usage is declining at a rate faster than can be explained by the current economic situation. For example EXCEL energy says that residential use declined 3% for the period August thru September.

Rochester Public Utilities says that the 2008 usage is 2% down, and Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Association says systemwide use declined 0.7%. Thanks to Larry Kosher at RPU and Dan Hayes From SMMPA for the local info.

from Ray Schmitz, SE CERTs Steering Committee member

WINDPOWER 2009 Conference & Exhibition - Chicago

Wind Power: Securing America’s Energy Future
WINDPOWER 2009 Conference & Exhibition
Chicago, Illinois
May 4 -7

The U.S. wind energy industry now has 20,000 megawatts of installed capacity, making it the the world leader in wind energy. Like the industry, the American Wind Energy Association's (AWEA) WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years with over 13,000 attendees and 776 exhibitors at the 2008 event.

This year’s conference will focus on what actions are required to push the future of the industry further towards our 20% goal and ultimately securing America’s energy future. Organized by leaders in the wind energy industry, WINDPOWER benefits wind professionals and those interested in entering this exciting market. Whether you are an established industry veteran or a newcomer, the WINDPOWER 2009 Conference & Exhibition has much to offer including 3 days of conference sessions, an interactive tradeshow of wind energy products and services, and numerous networking opportunities.

Bookmark the WINDPOWER 2009 website at www.windpowerexpo.org and return periodically over the coming months to get updates on registration, exhibitions, and program and speaker information. Housing for WINDPOWER 2009 has just recently opened. Visit www.windpowerexpo.org/hotel_and_travel.cfm to reserve your hotel room today.


Visit the WINDPOWER 2009 website at www.windpowerexpo.org.

Contact Us:
If you have any questions regarding WINDPOWER 2009, please email conference@awea.org. href="http://www.windpowerexpo.org">

Southeast CERTs December meeting

from Larry Landherr:

Southest CERTs December Steering Committee meeting will be Monday, December 1st from 3-5 p.m. in our usual conference room at the Heintz Center.

Tim Terrill will be giving us a powerpoint presentation describing what our grant helped the "Pork and Plants" project do this year.
I believe Dan Hayes will give us a brief update on Plug In Electric Vehicles that SMMPA has in their company fleet.

The Pending Resource Crisis: Understanding Our Biophysical and Biological Constraints to Sustainability

Nate Hagens, Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, will be speaking on human nuerobiology and sustainability oriented behavior, within the context of resource depletion.

What: Nate Hagens "The Pending Resource Crisis: Understanding Our Biophysical and Biological Constraints to Sustainability"
When: December 3rd, 1:30 to 3:00
Where: 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul campus

Hagens posits that by acknowledging and understanding both our biophysical (resource depletion) and biological (cognitive barriers, habituation, and belief systems) constraints we will be better able to choose cultural opportunities for sustainability. He draws upon and synthesizes recent research in cognitive neuroscience, neuroeconomics, and evolutionary biology and their applications to sustainability oriented behaviors in addressing energy and environmental limits. Ultimately Hagens looks for those solutions that aligned us with not only what we have, but who we are. Discussion will follow.

Prior to coming to the Gund Institute, Nate developed trading algorithms for commodity systems and was President of Sanctuary Asset Management, Managing Director of Pension Research Institute, and Vice President at the investment firms Salomon Brothers and Lehman Brothers. Nate is an editor of The Oil Drum, an online global think tank devoted to energy and sustainability.

Wind Energy Forum --December 6th

WIND ENERGY Forum
December 6, 2008, 1-5 p.m.
American Legion Club, Main Street, Hayfield, MN
Learn about commercial scale wind energy, wind rights and development options, land leases and agreements, Rural Energy Development Initiative and more at this seminar for landowners and community leaders who want to know more about navigating the commercial scale wind energy arena!

We request your reservation for this FREE seminar. RSVP to Beth Lecy at (507) 545-0112 by close of business, Wednesday, December 3rd.

Agenda

Welcome, Introductions
Tim Penny, Richard Huelskamp

Wind Energy 101
Richard Huelskamp, Rural Energy Development Initiative Consultant, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

The Big Picture & Why Wind Energy is An Opportunity
Susan Waughtal, SE CERTS

Minnesota Supports Community Wind—Rural Energy Development Initiative
Cheryl Glaeser, REDI Consultant, Southwest Initiative Foundation

Risks and Rewards: From Leasing Your Land to Owning a Project
Melissa Peterson, Program Analyst, Windustry

Business Tactics: Getting the Best Agreement for Landowners
George Crocker, executive director, North American Water Office
Phil Schouweiller, Director of community relations, Nature Energies
Craig Byram, attorney, Hoversten, Johnson Beckmann & Hovey
Dave Savage, project development, RES Americas, Inc.
Dave Brunsvold, project development manager, Wind Capital Group

Congratulations to Pork and Plants

Pork and Plants, located in Altura, MN, was one of two businesses nationwide to be awarded the 2008 Sustainability Progress Award by Greenhouse Product News and the Ohio Florist Association.

Pork and Plants also received a CERTS mini grant to research the impact of using prairie plants for biofuel on birds and insects. That report is now complete; look for it and a case study of Pork and Plants on the www.certs-se.org website shortly.

Reducing Energy Costs in Local Government

Reducing Energy Costs in Local Government
January 22, 2009
St. Cloud, MN

http://nextstep.state.mn.us/energyconference
Sponsored by:
Association of Minnesota Counties
League of Minnesota Cities
Minnesota Association of Townships
Minnesota Department of Commerce,
Office of Energy Security
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Minnesota School Boards Association

This conference will give your organization a head start in preparing for an uncertain future. Learn about actions that local government can take now to reduce energy costs.
Hear from public entities that have successfully reduced their energy bills: what steps have been effective, and what benefits have been realized.
Talk with representatives from organizations that can help local governments reduce energy use.
Connect with others. Discuss and share information and ideas for saving energy and reducing costs.

Where and when:
Thursday, January 22, 2009
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
St. Cloud Civic Center, St. Cloud, MN

Registration fee:
$40 early registration by January 15, 2009 ($50 after Jan. 15, 2009)

To register:
Conference registrations are being taken by these sponsors:
City officials and staff:http://www.mncounties.org/
Township officials and staff: http://www.lmc.org/page/1/cosponsored-events.jsp
All others: www.lmc.org/page/1/cosponsored-events.jsp