Renewable Energy for
SE/SC Minnesota
Lou Schwartzkopf
--Region 9 Renewal Energy Task Force
--CERT SE/SC
--Minnesota State Mankato
Clean Energy Resource Team (CERT)
SE/SC Strategic Energy Plan
There is plenty of renewable energy
potential in SE/SC Minnesota!
In particular, for - Ethanol
 Wind farms
 Biodigesters
 Etc.
To find the plan:
http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/southeast.html
Why renewable energy?
Switching to renewable energy is urgent
because there are problems with all fossil fuels:
 Oil: world oil production will peak, most
likely sometime in the next 20 years (peak
oil).
 Electricity: 65% of Minnesota’s electricity
comes from coal (dirty and implicated in
global warming).
 Natural gas: We have approximately eight
years’ worth of natural gas left in North
America, at current rates of consumption.
Why renewable energy?
Exploiting SE/SC Minnesota’s renewable
energy resources –
 Creates good jobs in the region.
 Keeps energy dollars in the region.
 Strengthens the local economy.
What can we do?



Ethanol for gasoline
Target: 3 ethanol plants for both counties
Wind turbines for electricity
Target: 170 for Blue Earth County, 70 for
Nicollet County
Biodigesters for natural gas
Target: 23 for Blue Earth County, 12 for
Nicollet County
Disclaimer



This is not an energy plan; it is a renewable
energy – fossil fuel equivalence statement.
Many other factors will have to be taken into
account in any realistic plan to convert to
renewable energy.
This equivalence statement does, however,
illustrate the magnitude of the conversion
required to maintain our current levels of
energy consumption.
What can you do?
Get involved!