monthly update
I S S U E O F O U R M O N T H LY U P D AT E !
As many of you now know, on Tuesday, May 8, Governor Tim Pawlenty signed SF 2096 - the Omnibus Energy and
Natural Resources Finance Bill which contained provisions to continue funding the Clean Energy Resource Teams
(CERTs) project. CERTs will receive $625,000 each year in fiscal years 2008 and 2009. This funding includes substantial support for implementing community-scale clean energy projects in existing CERT regions across the state, and
some additional funding to foster creation of Metro CERTs. CERTs staff wish to thank all of you, our CERT members and friends, who have made the project so successful.
LISSA, NETTY & JOEL
Regional Highlights/Experiences
* Note: CERTs has created clean energy posters in
partnership with the Color & Form in Surface
Design class at the U of M St. Paul campus. Posters
will be available for a suggested $10 donation at
CERT meetings and project sites across the state,
with all proceeds going towards local clean energy
projects. This month we will focus on some of the
projects being supported across the state. To learn
more, visit http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2007/05/01/71789.
CENTRAL REGION
* Poster Project: donations will support a corn/pellet burner project spearheaded by the Central Lakes
Ag Center in Staples.
M AY 2 0 0 7
CLEAN ENERGY RESOURCE TEAMS
H E L L O C E R T PA R T N E R S A N D F R I E N D S A N D W E L C O M E T O T H E M AY 2 0 0 7
Helping
Minnesota
Communities
Determine
their Energy
Future
N O RT H E A S T R E G I O N
* Poster Project: donations will support an educational display and/or software for the wind turbine
at Proctor High School.
* Poster Project: donations will support a solar hot
water installation at the new Finland Community
Center.
* Poster Project: donations will support clean energy awareness at Two Harbors High School via clean
energy demonstration equipment for general biology classes and for the EnviroClub.
* The EcoHome in Duluth (http://www.womenworking.org/solarhouse/2007EcoHome.htm) is finished and will stay open for a year or two as a
resource center. (CERTs will tour it June 19th!).
* Lake Superior Energy Fair (LSEF) is scheduled for
Sept 8th. The LSEF group formed a non-profit,
501c3 and is seeking board members.
N O RT H W E S T R E G I O N
* Poster Project: donations will support a mobile
biodiesel system that will be tested at five sites
throughout the region for on-farm biodiesel generation.
* Poster Project: donations will support water conservation projects via the Red River Basin
Commission and partnering organizations.
SOUTHEAST REGION
* Poster Project: donations will support the educational display for the J.C. Hormel Nature Center's
1.4 kW solar PV system.
* Poster Project: donations will support Eagle Bluff
Environmental Learning Center's community-based
wind development outreach meetings.
SOUTHWEST REGION
* Poster Project: donations will support the Madelia BioBased Eco-Industrial Project.
* Nearly 140 students in grades 9-12 from throughout
Minnesota competed in the 2007 Envirothon
(http://www.marshallindependent.com/News/articles.asp?
articleID=12644) at Lake Shetek. This year's topic was renewable energy. "We want the kids to gain an understanding of
how important renewable energy is to our earth. We have a
finite supply of petroleum and coal-based resources," said
Annette Bair, the Physical Development Director for the
Southwest Regional Development Commission and coordinator for the SW CERT. Bair also wrote the current topic portion
of the test. Congratulations to all the students who participated in this year's event! To learn more about how your school
can get involved, visit http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/
outreach/envirothon/index.html.
WEST CENTRAL REGION
* Poster Project: donations will support Prairie Woods
Environmental Learning Center's renewable energy interpretive signage.
Action Alert:
Recent Energy Legislation: How Does it Affect Your Project?
The Next Generation Energy Act of 2007 was recently signed into law. Read all about it in Senate File #145 at
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S0145.2.html&session=ls85.
If you don't want to wade through all the details, Governor Pawlenty's press release can be read at
http://www.governor.state.mn.us/mediacenter/pressreleases/PROD008146.html.
Also, earlier this year, Senate File #2096 (www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S2096.3.html&session=ls85)
was where CERTs funding came through (our exact line is 136.17), as well as the Solar Rebate, Initiative for Renewable
Energy and the Environment, a rural wind technical assistance project, and other interesting programs. Check out the legislation to see what other new incentives are available.
Link of the Month: UM Regional Sustainable Development
Partnerships and the Southwest Regional Development Commission
http://www.regionalpartnerships.umn.edu/
http://www.swrdc.org/
This month we thought we would help clarify the often-asked question "so who do you work for?" as well as shine a little light on two very unique and inspiring organizations (OK, we're biased). Lissa and Joel are employees of the
University of Minnesota's Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships. Lissa and Joel staff five of the six CERT
regions (Northeast, Northwest, Central, West Central, and Southeast). The partnerships are "Citizen-driven University
partnerships fostering sustainable development for regional resilience."
Annette Bair staffs the Southwest CERT, the Rural Minnesota Energy Board, and is the physical development director of
the Southwest Regional Development Commission. It is the mission of the Southwest Regional Development
Commission "to address the economic, social, physical, and governmental needs and opportunities of Southwestern
Minnesota; while transcending traditional jurisdictional configurations."
Upcoming Events
* Note: The Regional Clean Energy Resource Team meetings
are generally free and open to all. To find out more about a
specific meeting or to RSVP, please contact:
Joel Haskard - haska004@umn.edu; 612-625-8759 or
Lissa Pawlisch - pawl0048@umn.edu; 612-624-2293
CENTRAL
* Central CERT: June 14th, 5:30-7:30 PM at the Water
Foundation's Living Art Center located a few miles outside
of Brainerd (http://www.hopshop.net/index.php?option=
com_content&task=section&id=7&Itemid=94 - once at this
site, go to "Projects" on the lower left side and click on "campus tour" to see the clean energy technologies available at the
site). David Winkelman will be our host, and will be able to
show the Central CERT team wind, solar, geothermal, veggie
oil and other clean energy technologies.
* EcoSquared Fair: July 19-July 21. There will be workshops
offered covering a variety of topics related to sustainable living. If you are interested in participating in the fair this year,
either as a presenter, demonstrator, or vendor, contact Barb at
218.587.2303, or barbhines@happydancingturtle.org.
Registration forms and more information are available on the
Happy Dancing Turtle website www.happydancingturtle.org
or the Eco Squared Fair website www.ecosquared.org . To be
included in promotional materials, registrations need to be
received no later than June 15.
* Biomass Field Day: August 3, 2007 - Little Falls from 8:30
a.m. - 4 p.m. This biomass field day is designed for nonindustrial private forest landowners who are interested in
understanding the opportunities that exist in biomass harvesting and utilization. Natural resources professionals and
loggers are also encouraged to attend.
Questions about the workshop contact: Diomy Zamora,
University of Minnesota Extension at 888-241-0720
N O RT H E A S T
* Northeast CERT: June 29th, 12:15pm to 5:30 pm. CERT
members and the public will tour Duluth and Two Harborsarea homes that are equipped with state-of-the-art energy
efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
* Biomass Field Day: August 2, 2007 - Grand Rapids from
8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. This biomass field day is designed for nonindustrial private forest landowners who are interested in
understanding the opportunities that exist in biomass harvesting and utilization. Natural resources professionals and
loggers are also encouraged to attend.
Questions about the workshop contact: Diomy Zamora,
University of Minnesota Extension at 888-241-0720.
N O RT H W E S T
* Northwest CERT: Next meeting TBD.
* KidWind Courses: June 19 & 20, 2007 (K-12 teacher course
on wind energy), which will be held at the University of ND,
Grand Forks. This teacher course on wind energy is being
funded by LM Glasfiber, Grand Forks and sponsored by LM
Glasfiber, DMI Industries, Dakota Resource Council, and the
Grand Forks County Citizens Coalition. A tour of LM
Glasfiber's wind turbine blade manufacturing plant in Grand
Forks, ND is included in the course. Interested teachers can
register for this teacher course online at the KidWind Project
web site www.kidwind.org/workshop/workshopindex.html.
* On-Farm Biodiesel Production Demonstration:
Wednesday, June 27th, 8:00am, Wannaska (located in Roseau
County 13 miles south of Roseau on #89; just west of Lee's
Hardware Store). For more information, contact Dr. Paul
Porter at pporter@umn.edu
SOUTHEAST
* Southeast CERT: June 27th, 4:00-5:00 PM Heintz Center,
Rochester. Visit http://certs-se.org/ for more information.
* Wind Energy Seminars at Eagle Bluff. The Eagle Bluff
Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro, MN is hosting
a series of meetings informing citizens about the potential for
wind development in the area. Saturday, July 7th at 5:30 pm
Dinner On The Bluff will feature Farmer's Guide to Wind
Energy by the Farmers' Legal Action Group (FLAG) and conservation tips from Tri County Electric & Dairyland Power.
Friday, August 10th from 1 to 4 pm will feature information
about how wind fits into our national energy needs & global
climate changes and will address transmission systems and
community & distributed wind concepts. Friday, September
14th from 1 to 4 pm will discuss incentives for financing
wind projects. For more info, visit www.eagle-bluff.org ,
or call 888-800-9558 or 507-467-2437.
SOUTHWEST
* Rural Minnesota Energy Board meeting: July 24th, 2401
Broadway Avenue, Slayton, 9:30 AM. For more information,
e-mail Annette Bair at: phydev@swrdc.org, or visit
http://www.mncounties2.org/rmeb/about_rmeb.htm.
WEST CENTRAL
* West Central CERT: Thursday, June 21st, Sunburg, 11:303:30 pm, Sunburg Community Center (Old Fire Hall), 211
Isola Street, "Incentives to Help Make Your Clean Energy
Project Happen."
OT H E R U P C O M I N G E V E N T S
* Preparing Your Community for Climate and Energy
Change: Opportunities for Local Sustainability Wednesday,
June 6, 2007, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm, St. Paul (www.nextstep.
state.mn.us/conference). This conference is targeted at local
government elected officials and staff, as well as other community leaders and interested individuals that seek to prepare their communities for coming challenges related to
Minnesota's changing climate and the inevitability of global
peak oil and natural gas (when less and less of these fossil
fuels will be available each year). This is a free event, including lunch. More information and online registration is available at www.nextstep.state.mn.us/conference. If you have
any questions, please contact Paul Moss at
paul.moss@state.mn.us or 651/215-0243.
* Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair: Visit the
18th annual Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair
June 15-17, 2007. The Fair will again be held at the ReNew
the Earth Institute, MREA's educational facility, in Custer, WI
(just 7 miles east of Stevens Point). For more information,
contact: http://www.themrea.org/energy_fair.php.
* EECO: June 19-20th, 2007. The premier biennial conference
and exposition focused on
environment and energy issues in the Great Lakes Region of
Canada and the United States. More information on
www.eeco2005.com, http://www.eeco2005.com.
* On-Farm Biodiesel Production from Canola: Friday, June
22nd, 10:00-11:00am, 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul
Campus.
* Solar Domestic Hot Water System classes: August 11th,
12th , The Green Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota
http://www.mnrenewables.org/events/classes/index.php
* Basic Solar Photovoltaics classes: August 22, 23rd, The
Green Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota http://www.mnrenewables.org/events/classes/index.php
F O R M O R E I N F O A B O U T C E RT S , C O N TA C T
Melissa Pawlisch & Joel Haskard
University of Minnesota's Regional Sustainable Development
Partnerships
CERTs Coordinators
411 Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Circle
St. Paul, MN 55108
(612) 624-2293 or (612) 625-8759
pawl0048@umn.edu or haska004@umn.edu
www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org
OR
Annette Bair
2401 Broadway Ave
Slayton, MN 56172
507.836.8547 ext 101/ FAX 507.836 8866/ phydev@swrdc.org